Following a suspected case of gimbap food poisoning at another local government's event, Gimcheon City in Gyeongsangbuk-do Province is strengthening hygiene management for the 2026 Gimcheon Gimbap Festival, to be held from October 23 to 25. Gimcheon City said that for the 3 days of the festival, it will work jointly with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to conduct a full survey of ingredients at gimbap (seaweed rice rolls) sales booths and carry out rapid food poisoning tests.
It has been pointed out that outdoor food festivals carry a risk of food poisoning, as large quantities of food are cooked at once and ingredients are easily exposed to room temperature. In response to such risks, Gimcheon City plans to conduct rapid food poisoning tests directly on site and to check the safety of the food being sold throughout the festival.
The city explained that ahead of the festival's opening it has already completed a full survey of the ingredients used by participating vendors and their places of origin. Mobile handwashing stations and hand sanitizer will be placed throughout the festival grounds at all times to help visitors and vendors maintain personal hygiene.
The city also disclosed its criteria for selecting food vendors. Gimcheon City said that this year, as before, it made reasonable prices and quality the top criteria for selecting vendors. Gimcheon Mayor Bae Nak-ho said the festival will be run with visitors' health and safety placed first, along with taste and price.
The Gimcheon Gimbap Festival, now in its 3rd year, takes place in and around Jikji Culture Park, Samyeong Daesa Park and Eco-friendly Ecological Park, with a variety of gimbap sales and hands-on spaces, including the Gimbap Factory, Premium Local Gimbap and Unique Gimbap from Across the Country. Inquiries about the festival can be made at 054-420-6714.
The detailed schedule can be found on the festival details page.