[Edaily Kang Gyeong-rok Travel Reporter] Past winners of the Chunhyang Pageant have gathered in Namwon, North Jeolla Province, to promote local tourism and capitalize on the region’s cultural assets. Namwon City announced that it will host the “2026 Chunhyang Ambassador in Namwon Heungbu Festival” for two days, from the 10th to the 11th, in the Gwanghallu Garden and Yocheon Riverside areas. The event aims to systematize the professional network of past Chunhyang winners to promote Namwon’s tourism resources from multiple angles and secure momentum for global promotion.

Marking its 34th anniversary this year, the Namwon Heungbu Festival runs from the 9th to the 11th under the theme “Goodness Leads to Success.” The festival reinterprets the core values of the “Hungbu” folktale—sharing and mutual prosperity—through modern performances and hands-on programs. The event grounds are divided into five specialized zones: the Hungbu Experience Zone, the Swallow Mutual Prosperity Zone, the Golden Jackpot Zone, the Nolbu Tavern Zone, and the Gwanghallu Garden Zone.
The Chunhyang Ambassadors are Namwon City’s official promotional network, composed of talents selected through the Chunhyang Pageant. Namwon City plans to expand their on-site activities to encompass festival and tourism marketing as a whole, while also pursuing an archiving project to systematically collect and preserve historical records related to Chunhyang, thereby building them into a unique local cultural asset.
On the 10th, the first day of the event, a cultural lecture highlighting traditional culture and brand value was held at Sarangmaru in Namwon Yechon. Kim Hye-soon, a Master Craftsman of Hanbok and a Namwon City Ambassador, presented case studies on the global expansion of hanbok and traditional culture, while Hong Shin-hwa, Head of the International Exchange Team at the Intangible Cultural Heritage Research Institute, shared the strategy and vision for the Chunhyang archiving project. Following this, participants created short-form videos and social media content highlighting the case for designating Gwanghallu as a National Treasure, and took part in a Jebi Market experience and promotional activities for Namwon’s beauty industry.
On the 11th, the “Chunhyang Beauty with Chunhyang Ambassadors” event was held at the Gyeongoe Shopping Center’s merchandise shop with 15 Chunhyang ambassadors in attendance, expanding engagement with citizens and visitors. A Namwon City official emphasized, “This event will serve as a springboard to spread Namwon’s tourism appeal to the global market through the powerful human IP of Chunhyang,” adding, “We will continue to strengthen Namwon’s competitive edge in unique cultural content through the systematic archiving of historical records related to Chunhyang.”