By Lee Jon Young

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the opening ceremony of the 2023 Festival at Geumgangsingwan Park in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do on Sept. 23..

The opening ceremony was held at the World Heritage Baekje Historic Site in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do, the former capital of the ancient kingdom of Baekje, and was attended by more than 14,000 people, including the governor of Chungcheongnam-do, the speaker of the Chungcheongnam Provincial Assembly, the mayor of Gongju, the county governor of Buyeo, and the people of Chungcheongnam-do.

The Great Baekje Festival (formerly Baekje Culture Festival), which began in 1955 and is celebrating its 69th edition this year, is a historical and cultural festival representing Chungcheongnam-do. In particular, this year's festival will be attended by overseas countries that had exchange relations with Baekje.

In addition, this year's Great Baekje Festival, which was held after quickly repairing the damage caused by the heavy rains in July, is expected to be an opportunity to rediscover the value and essence of the cultural powerhouse 'Baekje' and spread it around the world, raising the status of Korea beyond Chungcheongnam-do.