A feast of "premium gotgam," crafted by the clear winds of Jirisan Mountain and Deogyusan, will unfold. Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang Province said it will hold the 10th Hamyang Gojongsi Gotgam Festival at Gowun Square in Sangnim Park in Hamyang for three days starting on the 16th.
Marking its 10th year, the festival will showcase gotgam carefully peeled and dried by about 700 farms since November. The name "Gojongsi" is said to come from a tale that Emperor Gojong favored Hamyang gotgam for its exceptional taste, reflecting how its quality has long been recognized.
The county planned the event as a "stay-type gourmet festival" where the whole family can linger and enjoy, going beyond a simple sales fair. Visitors can receive a gotgam lucky pouch after a simple game through the "Jirisan tiger luck gift event," and quirky hands-on programs such as making gotgam sandwiches and rice cake balls will also be offered.
A wealth of free content also draws attention. Around the special stage, events that will satisfy children's five senses will be held in diverse ways, including a stamp tour of farms selling gotgam, gotgam popcorn, perilla leaf pesto making, a traditional games relay, and grilling local agricultural products.
A "surprise auction," a practical buying opportunity, will also be held daily. Attendees can enjoy winning high-quality gotgam at prices lower than the market. The auctions begin at 1 p.m. on the 16th and 17th, and at 11 a.m. on the final day, the 18th. Just watching the auction process is entertaining in itself. On the afternoon of the 18th, rice cake pounding and sharing of gotgam rice cakes will cap off the event.
A spectacular performance lineup to enliven the festival atmosphere has also been set. At the opening ceremony at 3 p.m. on the 16th, singer Jeon Yu-jin will take the stage, and on the 17th, Lee Chan-won—visiting the festival for the third consecutive year—along with Hyun Jin-woo and Lee Sae-byeok will perform. On the 18th, Jinuk and Twin Girls will deliver lively stages. Among them, Lee Chan-won will visit the event for three consecutive years starting in 2024. At last year's event, Lee said, "I will come again next year."
An event marking the first anniversary of "Orego Hamyang," linked to the gotgam festival, will also be held on the 17th. The event targets those who have certified climbs of 15 famous peaks of 1,000 meters or higher in the Hamyang area.
The 15 famous peaks include Jirisan Mountain (Cheonwangbong), as well as Samjeongsan, Wabul Mountain (Sangnae Peak), Sambongsan, Gamtu Mountain, Dosung Mountain, Daebongsan (Gye-gwan Peak), Baegunsan, Yeongchwisan, Hwangseoksan, Geomangsan, Gibaeksan, Wolbongsan, Geumwonsan, and Namdeogyusan. Those who climb all the mountains receive a completion certificate along with a pure silver medal produced by the Korea Minting, Security Printing & ID Card Operating Corporation (KOMSCO).
There are also representative attractions of Hamyang worth visiting. "Namgye Seowon," which enshrines the memorial tablet of Ildu Jeong Yeo-chang, revered as one of the five sages of Joseon, presents the archetype of early seowon building layouts from the Joseon era. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
"Odojae," the pass between Guyang-ri in Macheon-myeon, Hamyang County, and Guryong-ri in Hamyang-eup, is drawing attention as a tourist spot for its winding road. Legend has it that climbing this road brings enlightenment, and many Confucian scholars and practitioners are said to have crossed this pass. There is also Hamyang Ildu Old House, which serves as the spiritual root of Gaepyeong Hanok Village.
Park Hyo-gi, head of the festival committee, said, "We have completed thorough preparations so that Hamyang gotgam can establish itself as a festival representing winter." Hamyang County Mayor Jin Byeong-yeong said, "We hope you will start a healthy and happy New Year with sweet gotgam imbued with the spirit of Jirisan."