Goyang Flower Festival

[Anchor Lead]

It’s that time of year again for one of the country’s most famous urban flower festivals. The 21st Goyang Flower Festival is now open. Up next, we bring you some beautiful scenes from the festival.

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This garden in the middle of an urban area is beautifully decorated. Visitors stop to savor the aroma of flowers. Many are busy taking photos against the backdrop of the beautiful blossoms.

[Soundbite] Chang Yeon-jae(Visitor) : "It's a good place to visit with family. I want to come with my close friends to take selfies and enjoy the flowers."

275 companies from 30 countries have participated this year. That figure marks a slight drop compared to last year, but organizers aim to attract a record high of 600,000 visitors.

[Soundbite] Im Joo-wan(Rose Farmer) : "It will be an opportunity to promote flowers and create great demand, boosting farmers' earnings."

The Goyang city government's goal is to export 20 million U.S. dollars' worth of flowers to overseas buyers, through various programs such as visits to local flower farms.

[Soundbite] Choi Sung(Goyang Mayor) : "In addition to helping revive the depressed flower market, it will become the nation's top flower culture festival in connection with the international tourism industry."

Already in its 20th year, attention is being focused on whether the festival will be substantially effective in reviving the floricultural industry, befitting its growth in size.