The 21st Sunchang Jangryu Festival, held in Sunchang, the home of Jangryu (traditional Korean fermented pastes), successfully concluded its four-day schedule, showcasing the charm of traditional Jangryu culture and the culinary cultures of countries around the world.

Held for four days from October 15 to 18 at the Sunchang Traditional Gochujang Folk Village and the Sunchang Fermentation Theme Park, this year's festival introduced various programs combining traditional Jangryu culture with global gourmet content, promoting Sunchang’s unique tastes and culture to domestic and international tourists.

In particular, this year’s festival holds great significance as the first event held after being selected as a "2026 Preliminary Global Festival" by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, marking a step forward from a traditional Jangryu-centered festival into a K-food cultural festival enjoyed by people worldwide.

Indeed, throughout the festival grounds, visitors continued to flock to experience Sunchang's traditional Jangryu culture firsthand. Programs utilizing Sunchang's unique characteristics, such as making gochujang (chili paste) and traditional cultural performances, provided visitors with a unique joy, creating a festive space where diverse groups, ranging from family units to foreign visitors, could mingle together.

Above all, this year stood out for its attempts to connect Sunchang's traditional Jangryu with global gourmet culture. Through the global sauce exhibition and K-food-related programs, the festival focused on expanding the applicability of Jangryu and introducing Sunchang's taste and culture to domestic and international tourists.

In addition, through events commemorating the inscription of Korea’s Jang-danggeugi (making traditional Korean sauces and pastes) culture on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the value of traditional fermentation culture passed down through long ages was reflected upon. It served as an opportunity to convey Sunchang's history and cultural identity beyond simply tasting and experiencing Jangryu.

Furthermore, the operation of a win-win festival where local residents and merchants participated together drew attention. Centered around the Traditional Gochujang Folk Village, Jangryu product sales and food spaces were operated, and various events to induce local consumption were prepared so that the vitality of the festival could lead to the local economy. Along with this, cooperation with domestic and international tourism organizations and universities to attract foreign tourists was strengthened. This added significance in that the Sunchang Jangryu Festival expanded its foundation to grow beyond a regional-centered festival into a global tourism festival.

Sunchang County Mayor Choi Young-il said, "This festival was an opportunity that showed the possibility of Sunchang's traditional Jangryu culture developing into cultural content enjoyed together with people around the world," and added, "We will continue to discover and develop Sunchang's differentiated Jangryu and fermentation culture contents so that the Sunchang Jangryu Festival can grow into a global cultural tourism festival representing the Republic of Korea."

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