15th Annual Boryeong Mud Festival

For the past 15 summers, foreigners and Koreans have flocked to Boryeong in South Chungcheong Province for one reason and one reason only: to get muddy.

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The 15th Annual Boryeong Mud Festival opened Saturday and will run for 11 days until July 24th. Over the years, it has become one of the most popular destinations for foreigners living in Korea.

[Interview : ] " It is nice to see a lot of Koreans and foreigners together and enjoy the same event. you don't really see that too often.This is a great opportunity to include one another. It's been great. I have never seen anything like this is America, Canada and other countries I traveled to".

Hosted by the city of Boryeong, the event has been named Korea's best national festival for the last three years and it now has been recognized as a top national festival by the government. It's also has received several international festival awards.

Over 230-thousand foreigners are expected to visit Boryeong during this year's event. The festival boasts nearly 50 different activities, and most center around Boryeong's trademark mud. From mud wrestling and mud slides to mud messages and mud baths if it can be done with mud, it will probably be done at Boryeong. Before getting too muddy people usually stop by the mud painting tent where you can get your entire body covered with paint derived from mud. If you're not a big mud person, don't worry since you can take a dip at nearby Daechon beach. But it's not only about fun in the sun.


[Interview : ] "The festival debuted in 1998 to promote Daechon beach and the fact that the mud is beneficial to the skin. Using the mud, we have developed mud soap and cosmetics and we thought the best way to promote it was to hold this mud festival "

There are 18 different types of cosmetics to choose from, and Boryeong's mineral-rich mud is said to have special anti-aging supplements.

[Reporter : ] "The Boryeong Mud Festival has come a long way since its start in 1998. Only 300-thousand visitors showed up that first year, but over 2.3 million people are expected to visit during this year's 11-day event to soak up all Boryeong has to offer.

Kim Hyun-bin, Arirang News.

Reporter : hyunbin@arirang.co.kr