From Gimbap Heaven Meme To Cultural Landmark.

The city of Gimcheon has officially been designated as a Preliminary Culture and Tourism Festival for 2026–2027 by the Ministry of Culture. This follows the massive success of its Gimbap Festival, which was born from a survey where people admitted they only knew the city because its name sounded like the restaurant chain Gimbap Cheonguk. The festival now draws over 150,000 visitors surpassing the city’s actual population. Thanks to a viral scene in the Netflix hit K-Pop Demon Hunters (where a character eats an uncut gimbap roll in one bite), the 2026 festival is bracing for a surge in international tourists. The city has even introduced Walnut-Mayo Pork Gimbap to showcase its actual local specialty (walnuts) within the trendy snack.

©YovaniBernard