More chances to watch Haman Nakhwa Festival

Haman Nakhwa Festival is held at a small pond near Mujinjeong Pavilion in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province. (KTO)

The Korea Tourism Organization announced it is turning Haman’s firework event -- the Haman Nakhwa Festival -- into a monthly festival held from June to November this year.

The Nakhwa Festival, or “Nakhwanori” in Korean, is a firework festival where oak charcoal powder wrapped in “hanji” (Korean mulberry paper) is set on fire, creating balls of fire falling into the small pond at Mujinjeong Pavilion in Haman, South Gyeongsang Province.

After the county came under heavy criticism for lack of preparation when more than 50,000 people descended on the venue in 2023, causing multiple problems including heavy traffic and internet disruptions, Haman took online reservations for the first time in May.

Though the county held two separate Nakhwa Festival events on May 14 and 15, each with 8,000 visitors, it joined hands with the KTO to present more opportunities for more people to enjoy the stunning Korean-style fireworks.

According to the KTO, the Haman Nakhwa Festival will be turned into a tourism product and held each month from June 29 to November, with the exception of July and August due to safety concerns.

Different types of Nakhwanori-themed travel packages are available with prices starting at 45,000 won ($32.85).

Detailed information about reservations, Haman Nakhwa Festival schedules and programs can be found at the official websites of the KTO and the Haman Tourism Department haman.go.kr/tour.web.

By Lee Si-jin(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)