The Jeju Fire Festival is finally returning after three years and will take place in the Saebyeol Oreum area of Aewol-eup between the 14th and 16th of March, from Friday to Sunday. Voted as one of the cultural resources that brings the locals the most pride, the festival is also recognized as one of the most popular attractions in Jeju, bringing in more than 300,000 visitors each time it occurs.
The festival is a modern reinterpretation of the cattle farming tradition where farmers used to burn down fields between late winter and spring to renew the grass and exterminate pests. This year, in order to embrace environmental protection, the festival has adopted a digital approach as opposed to traditional burning, to actively enforce carbon neutrality whilst striving to delight visitors with exclusive and unique experiences.
On the 12th of this month, Jeju City announced that it would host a “New Spring, New Hope Tree Sharing” at the event venue starting at 10am on Sunday the 16th, the last day of the fire festival. Tying in with the city’s plan to plant 6 million trees, 2,400 saplings of 4 species will be given out to visitors (2 saplings per person) for free on a first-come-first-serve basis.
An event market will also be launched at the festival venue itself, where up to 150 local items will be sold at approximately 20% cheaper than market price. Additionally, some agricultural products from other provinces will also be available.
To increase accessibility for the duration of the festival, three direct routes to the event venue via shuttle bus will be running for free; Two from Jeju City and one from Seogwipo City. An additional route bus will also be dispatched to pass through the festival venue.
The Jeju City Agricultural Administration Division Chief Hyun Ho Gyeong hopes for the public to take interest in the market and support the local small business owners.
Source: Jeju Ilbo, March 12, 2025
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