Gyeryong military culture festival ends five-day run, 912,000 visitors reported
In short
The 16th Gyeryong Military Culture Festival and the 2026 Ground Forces Festival finished a five-day run on Oct 5 at Gyeryongdae and around Gyeryong city, the city said. Newsis reported that 912,000 visitors attended, while the city had said before the event it expected more than 1 million people.
Read the full story 1 min read
The 16th Gyeryong Military Culture Festival and the 2026 Ground Forces Festival ended their five-day run on Oct 5, Yonhap reported, citing Gyeryong city. The events were held from Oct 1 at Gyeryongdae and in areas of Gyeryong city. [ 1 , 2 ]
Newsis reported that 912,000 visitors attended. Yonhap said the city had expected more than 1 million people to come before the event began, and that it had carried out joint inspections of the venue with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, South Chungcheong Province, police and fire services to manage safety. [ 1 , 2 ]
According to the city, the barracks experience zone drew families with children and teenagers, and an urban combat survival game divided into blue and red teams and a KCTC rifle shooting experience were well received. Other offerings included Army, Navy and Air Force virtual reality experiences, simulated combat, a rollercoaster VR ride and a realistic future combat experience, the city said. [ 1 ]
On the programme side, the city cited military band performances by the US Eighth Army and non-commissioned officers' school bands and the Air Force honour guard, along with Korean traditional music breakdancing and a performance by the fusion gugak band Isang. A city parade on Oct 4 brought together about 700 military personnel and residents, the city said, adding that the presence of the Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters in the area allowed real military content to be used. [ 1 ]
Newsis carried photo captions of Mayor Lee Eung-woo and volunteers marking the festival's successful staging. Neither document reported any accidents or incidents during the event. [ 2 ]
Why it matters
The festival is billed by its organisers as the country's largest military culture event and draws on the presence of the Army, Navy and Air Force headquarters in Gyeryong. A crowd of this size puts attention on crowd management and inter-agency safety planning, which the city said it prepared with national and provincial authorities.
Key facts
- The 16th Gyeryong Military Culture Festival and the 2026 Ground Forces Festival ran for five days from Oct 1 at Gyeryongdae and across Gyeryong city [ 1 ]
- Newsis reported that 912,000 visitors attended the festival [ 2 ]
- Gyeryong city said before the event that it expected more than 1 million visitors [ 1 ]
- Programmes included a barracks experience zone, an urban combat survival game split into blue and red teams, KCTC rifle shooting and Army, Navy and Air Force virtual reality experiences [ 1 ]
- A city parade on Oct 4 involved about 700 military personnel and residents, according to the city [ 1 ]
- The city said it ran joint inspections of the venue with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, South Chungcheong Province, police and fire services [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- Attendance: Newsis reported 912,000 visitors, while Yonhap cited the city's pre-event expectation of more than 1 million Only one outlet gave an actual visitor count, and the two figures describe different things, so the final attendance is not independently confirmed
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Oct 1: the 16th Gyeryong Military Culture Festival and the 2026 Ground Forces Festival open at Gyeryongdae and around Gyeryong city [ 1 ]
- Oct 4: a city parade involving about 700 military personnel and residents is held [ 1 ]
- Yonhap reports that the festival has finished its five-day schedule, citing the city [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports the festival closed with 912,000 visitors [ 2 ]