[Features reporter] Fluttering wings, blooming spring in S. Korea: Hampyeong Butterfly Festival ...

Fluttering wings, blooming spring in S. Korea: Hampyeong Butterfly Festival begins

나비의 날갯짓과 함께 활짝 피어난 봄 함평나비축제 개막

As the weather gets warmer and more pleasant, a variety of spring festivals are taking place across South Korea.
While we've recently introduced many spring FLOWER festivals on our show, today, our News Features reporter Park Kun-woo is at a festival that's probably also abundant in flowers, as this winged-insect that's today's main focus, is attracted to things that bloom.
Kun-woo, please tell us at which festival you exactly are right now!

Good afternoon Soa and Bella.
I'm reporting from the butterfly festival here in Hampyeong-gun county, in Jeollanamdo Province, in South Korea's southwest.
This is the biggest and most well-known butterfly festival in Korea, now celebrating its 27th edition since it first started in 1999.
And you might have noticed that I'm indoors and behind me, you can see a variety of butterflies fluttering their beautiful, symmetrical wings.
Officials say there are around 200 thousand butterflies of nearly 20 different species, both indoors and outdoors, here at the festival site.

Visitors can also see caterpillars and other fascinating insects, adding to the unique charm of the festival.
Today marks the opening day of the festival, and more and more visitors from all over the country are arriving to enjoy the scene.
Parking lots have been packed since before 9 AM with families, friends, and school kids on field trips arriving.
Take a listen to how much the visitors are enjoying the festival.

"My friends and I are all over 70, but we've been here since early this morning, feeling as excited as if we were 18 again. There are so many flowers, butterflies and even people! It's such a joy to be here."


"It's really fun to see butterflies I've only seen in books. There are so many kinds like the cabbage white butterfly that I know and I actually got to see them today! I hope more people can come and enjoy them too."

Kun-woo, I can see the festival is a lot of fun.
Do you have any special recommendations or tips for those planning to visit?

First of all, I'd like to recommend two fun activities you can try while you're here.
The first is the butterfly release experience.
If you register 30 minutes before the activity, you'll receive a small container with around five butterflies.
When you open the lid, you can watch them flutter away into the air.
As butterflies are often seen as symbols of hope, I recommend sending them off with your own wishes.
The second activity is feeding the butterflies.
You'll be given a bouquet of flowers with feed to attract butterflies, and as they gather around it, you can enjoy feeding them up close.
Also, on display here is a special sculpture called the "Golden Bat" statue, created to commemorate the golden bat, which is a Level 1 endangered species.
This recently grabbed attention as its value rose with soaring gold prices, and it's even being seen as a successful investment by the local government.
While the activities I've mentioned are free, the festival's entrance fee is just under 5 U.S. dollars.
Groups of more than 20 people, as well as children and senior citizens, can enter at a discounted price.
In terms of traveling to here from Seoul, it takes about four hours by car.
If you prefer public transport, you can take an intercity bus, which brings you directly to Hampyeong in about four and a half hours.
For those taking the train, you can take the KTX train, which takes less than four hours.

Thanks for those tips.
But Kun-woo I also heard on a global scale that there are concerns about the decline of butterflies.
What's the situation there in Hampyeong?

Yes, according to a U.S. study, butterfly populations in the U.S. have declined by 22 percent over the past two decades, with climate change and excessive pesticide use pointed out as key reasons.
But an official I spoke to told me Hampyeong has a competitive edge, thanks to its accumulated know-how in sustaining butterfly populations over the years.

"Instead of collecting butterflies from the wild, we raise them using selected breeding stock. To thrive, butterflies need host plants for caterpillars and nectar plants for adults. And this clean and natural area of Hampyeong offers both in abundance."

To sum up, he said it's the combination of natural resources, research, and expertise that makes Hampyeong an ideal habitat for butterflies.
Back to you guys.

Alright Kun-woo, thanks for all of that.
And we'll see you next time with another interesting topic.

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2025-04-25, 14:00 (KST)