Jinju City announced on the 16th that it held the awards ceremony for the 19th National Costume Parade Contest, a signature event of the 75th Gaecheon Arts Festival, at the Hogukmaru of the Jinju Fortress Battle History Park.

The costume parade contest, held on the 10th, featured 30 teams and approximately 1,300 participants selected through an open call. Notably, characters from 23 local governments and public institutions nationwide participated as invited teams, offering unique spectacles to citizens and tourists.

The Grand Prize was awarded to ‘Jinsabu,’ which received a certificate, a championship flag, a trophy, and a cash prize of 5 million won. Jinsabu earned high scores by expressing the steadfast mental strength, robust physique, and dynamic spirit of Jinju citizens through high-difficulty performances such as taekwondo breaking.

The Top Excellence Awards went to ‘Jumping Angels & the National Cheerleading Association Team’ and the ‘Department of Folk Arts and Dance at Gyeongsang National University,’ while the Excellence Awards were claimed by three teams: ‘Jump School,’ ‘Rotary International District 3590,’ and the ‘Jinju Haedong Kumdo Association.’ The Originality Award was presented to ‘Rotary International District 3590,’ which expressed a desire for the revival of the old downtown area—where Jinju's history and culture breathe—along with the value of practicing volunteer work and neighborly love.

The Originality Award was newly established last year to encourage participating teams that injected fresh vitality into the costume parade through free-spirited thinking and challenging attempts unbound by conventional frameworks.

To ensure fairness and objectivity, judging was conducted by combining the scores of a 49-member citizen judging panel and a 3-member professional judging panel.

At the awards ceremony, Jinju Mayor Cho Kyu-il said, "This costume parade contest re-illuminated Jinju's history and culture through the participation of citizens and personality-filled processions, serving as a festival stage where generations and regions came together in harmony." He added, "We will continue to widely promote Jinju's identity and strive for regional cultural development through various cultural events where citizens can proactively participate and enjoy together."

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