Imsil County welcomed more than 168,000 visitors over the early-May long weekend, delivering a major tourism boost. Packed festivals and popular attractions translated into higher spending at hands-on experiences, local specialty shops and restaurants across the area.
County officials say roughly 168,000 people came between Labor Day on May 1 and Children’s Day on May 5. Even Monday the 4th—a weekday—was busy as families took vacation days to visit key sites.
Some 87,000 people attended the 2026 Imsil N Pet Star. The Imsil Cheese Theme Park drew about 25,000 visitors, while roughly 56,000 people visited the Okjeongho suspension bridge and Bungeo Island Ecological Park.
The Cheese Theme Park kept family crowds coming with its European-style architecture, spring flower displays and hands-on cheese workshops. During the holiday, on-site restaurants, interactive attractions and sales of local specialty products brought in 270,000,000 KRW (about $202,500).
The Okjeongho area also saw a strong influx of spring visitors. Beds of moss phlox and azaleas around the suspension bridge and Bungeo Island Ecological Park created picture-perfect scenery that drew crowds. In the Okjeongho zone, sales of Imsil N Cheese and other dairy products totaled 110,000,000 KRW (about $82,500), and the Imsil N Cheese House Okjeongho café recorded 14,000,000 KRW (about $10,500) in sales. Nearby beef restaurants (hanwoo) and spicy fish-stew spots also enjoyed the holiday bump.
Imsil County expects this momentum to carry into the Imsil N Rose Festival, scheduled for May 28–31. With nearby peony fields, poppy clusters and hydrangeas set to bloom in June, officials see strong potential for continued springtime visitation.
“A decade ago, Imsil was almost a tourism blank spot, but today it’s one of North Jeolla’s standout destinations,” said Mayor Shim Min. “We’ll keep strengthening tourism infrastructure and linking seasonal blooms with festivals so even more visitors come to Imsil.”
