Jeollabuk-do(Sunchang-gun)
The Sunchang Fermented Sauce Festival is held every fall at Sunchang, a city of health and longevity. Sunchang hot pepper sauce, which used to be presented to the royal family in the Joseon Dynasty, is believed to have many health benefits, such as being beneficial in preventing cancer and obesity. As people have gotten more interested in their health and well-being, hot sauce has become an even greater part of the Korean diet.The venue of the festival is Hot Sauce Folk Village, a mecca of Sunchang Hot Sauce. There are a range of programs, including celebrity performances, percussion performances, madangnori, and making traditional hot sauce. Other events include Sunchang Specialty Exhibition (e.g. vegetables fermented in hot sauce, bokbunja liquor), Children’s Painting Contest, and photo exhibits. The festival’s crowning glory is the Sunchang traditional hot sauce competition, a must-see event.