CreatripTeam

The 2025 Tongyeong Fish Market Festival, held Oct. 24–26 at Donam-dong Triathlon Square, attracted about 320,000 visitors. Expanded to twice last year’s size, the festival added large rain covers and real-time 알림톡 (AlimTalk — a Korean push-notification messaging service) to improve visitor convenience. Seven award-winning chefs staged cooking shows and developed new recipes using local seafood, mentoring vendors on-site. Across 59 booths, 124 menu items—such as grilled eel rolls, whole sea bream fries, Tongyeong stone octopus and shrimp ceviche, and octopus with baby potatoes—were offered as limited local specialties. A concurrent seafood expo featured 17 cooperatives and processors showcasing over 50 products (fresh oysters, sea eel, live fish, dried anchovies, seasoned sea squirts, marinated crab, semi-dried fish). Kiosks and real-time notifications reduced lines, and nearly 1,000 staff and volunteers ensured a safe, accident-free event. City officials said the festival boosted the value of regional seafood and local fishers’ incomes and vowed continued support for sustainable seafood development.