Wonju’s dumplings, Gumi’s ramyeon: Korean comfort food celebrated in local festivals

Korea's local festivals centered on food are occasions for each region to flaunt its most popular staples. However, other regions are celebrating bunsik, or common Korean dishes encompassing a variety of casual snacks and light meals.

A venue sells dumplings in Wonju [WONJU CITY GOVERNMENT]

Korea's local festivals centered on food are occasions for each region to flaunt its most popular staples. Such is the case for snow crabs for Yeongdeok, North Gyeongsang, octopus for Seocheon, South Chungcheong and bibimbap for Jeonju. However, other regions are taking a different approach by celebrating bunsik, or common Korean dishes encompassing a variety of casual snacks and light meals beloved across all age groups.

This year will be the second time that Wonju, Gangwon, will host the Wonju Dumpling Festival, set for Oct. 25 to 27 in the city's downtown area. The festival kicked off last year to revitalize the old downtown's economy. With celebrity ambassador Kim Hee-chul of boy band Super Junior sharing the festival on Instagram, the celebration hopes to draw people from outside the region to try its mandu — the Korean term for dumplings.

Many dumpling shops can be found in the Free Market and Doremi Market, located in Jungang-dong. Both markets are well-known for their assortment of small businesses and worker co-ops. The Free Market alone has eight dumpling-making shops and over 30 restaurants serving dumpling soup.

The high number of dumpling enterprises in Wonju reflects the local history, which is why dumplings were chosen as the festival theme. After the Korean War, refugees who settled in Wonju started making and selling dumplings to make a living, trying to get by under conditions of extreme poverty.

Wonju is especially famous for kimchi dumplings. Instead of using well-fermented kimchi, they use freshly made kimchi and no meat is added. A dish called kalman — knife-cut noodles with kimchi dumplings added to them — is also popular.

Dumplings with Kimchi inside [JOONGANG ILBO]

Fried dumplings [WONJU CITY GOVERNMENT]

Last year’s two-day festival successfully hosted over 200,000 participants. This year, the festival will be extended by one more day, and the grounds will be three times larger. Over 60 mandu venues will participate in the festival, all selected through a preliminary fair held on Sept. 24 in the city’s worker co-op square.

The booths will feature, in addition to Wonju dumplings, famous dumplings from across the country, as well as dumplings from Thailand, China and other countries.

“We hope visitors will not only enjoy the dumplings at the festival but also visit the markets and enjoy a variety of foods,” said Kim Young-shin, president of the the Free Market's merchants’ association.

Top down photo of a street in Gumi, North Gyeongsang [GUMI CITY GOVERNMENT]

Other regions are taking a similar approach to Wonju’s festival. Gumi, North Gyongsang, is hosting a ramyeon festival, banking on the fact that the nation's largest Nongshim ramyeon factory is in the city. Operating since 1991, the factory produces 36 percent of Korea’s daily ramyeon consumption.

This year’s festival will be held around Gumi Station, with a 475-meter-long ramyeon street set up. Visitors can try ramyeon from 15 restaurants in Gumi that were selected through fierce competition.

Creative ramyeon dishes, such as chili ramyeon tacos and whole squid seafood ramyeon, will also be featured. In addition to Korean ramyeon, Asian ramyeon from Vietnam, Japan, and Taiwan will appear. There will also be a “Ramyeon Workshop” where festival-goers can create and enjoy their own unique ramyeon.

“It’s a rare chance to taste ramyeon freshly fried right out of the factory,” said Shin Mi-jung, the head of the Gumi local government's Romantic Tourism Division.

Instant ramyeon dish [GUMI CITY GOVERNMENT]

Ramyeon tacos [GUMI CITY GOVERNMENT]

Gimcheon, another city in North Gyeongsang, tapped into MZ generation sensibilities for its new gimbap festival, which celebrates Korea's ubiquitous seaweed rice roll.

A city survey revealed that younger people thought of the gimbap franchise Gimbap Heaven when they heard the word Gimcheon because the franchise's Korean abbreviation is pronounced the same as the rice roll. Leaning into this linguistic coincidence, the city themed the festival around gimbap.

The city is planning to organize numerous gimbap-related venues at Samyeongdaesa Park near the famous Jikji Temple. Participants can enjoy signature dishes from renowned gimbap restaurants in Gimcheon, including gimbap made with local specialties such as walnuts, plums and black pork.

Gimbap with fish cake inside [GIMCHEON CITY GOVERNMENT]

BY CHOI SEUNG-PYO, KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]