The City of Cheonan announced on the 7th that an estimated 402,000 visitors attended the "2026 Cheonan K-Culture Expo," held at the Independence Hall of Korea over a five-day period.

This figure represents an increase of approximately 45,000 compared to last year's 356,448 visitors. The city analyzed that a dazzling performance lineup featuring top-tier domestic artists, combined with experiential content centered around three core industrial exhibition halls, successfully drove visitor turnout.

During the festival period, large-scale performances continued daily on the main stage, capturing the attention of visitors. The opening ceremony featured a grand drone and laser show, along with celebratory opening performances by Davichi and Rescene.

This was followed sequentially by the "K-Rock Concert" featuring YB and 10cm, the "K-OST Concert" featuring Kim Na-young, MeloMance, and K.Will, a live public broadcast of SBS’s "Cultwo Show," and a closing celebration performance featuring Kim Yong-bin and Choo Hyuk-jin. The "K-Harmony Stage," featuring 21 local Cheonan artist teams, and the youth-focused "K-Univ Zone" were also operated on an ongoing basis, receiving enthusiastic responses.

The industrial and experiential nature of the exhibition content was also significantly enhanced. The city condensed and reorganized the exhibition halls into three core exhibition areas: K-Food, K-Webtoon, and K-Pop.

Attractions that drew crowds included traditional fermented food and future culinary culture exhibitions showcased in the K-Food pavilion, AI robotic arm caricatures in the K-Webtoon pavilion, and virtual K-pop idol debut experiences in the K-Pop pavilion.

A large photo zone commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Baekbeom Kim Gu and the toy-collaborated kids' zone "K-Playground" also garnered enthusiastic responses across all generations.

In addition, the Chungnam Food Industry Expo with 40 booths, the Cheonan Farmers Market selling local agricultural and specialty products, and the "Ramen & Ice Cream Festa" jointly hosted by Nongshim and Lotte Wellfood were operated continuously in separate spaces.

Policies linking visitor consumption to local commercial districts were also put in place. The city distributed consumption-promotion coupons usable at Cheonan bakery specialty shops and certified walnut pastry stores, supported local Hanaro Mart discount events, and facilitated payments via Cheonan Sarang Cards, breathing vitality into the old downtown commercial district.

To maintain a pleasant and safe viewing environment, the city secured 1,445 additional temporary parking spaces for a total of 3,845 spaces, deployed shuttle buses 109 times, and operated four container-type air-conditioned rest shelters.

"The harmonious blend of top-tier performances, concentrated industrial exhibitions, and well-equipped viewing convenience has yielded meaningful results," said Cheonan Mayor Jang Ki-soo. "We will continue to foster a cultural ecosystem so that Cheonan firmly establishes itself as South Korea's representative K-culture hub city."

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