This event, which took place from the 26th to the 27th at Hanam Sports Complex and other locations across the city, received a warm response from citizens, as it included a commemorative ceremony, sports competitions, and a variety of cultural festivals.
The ‘ 36th Anniversary Hanam Citizens’ Day ‘, which was the centerpiece of the event, opened on the 27th at Hanam Stadium with a powerful celebratory performance by the National Police Symphony Orchestra. The commemorative ceremony that followed was held in the following order :
- Entrance of the 14 Dong athletes
- Reading of the Citizens’ Charter
- Awarding of Meritorious Citizens
- Commemorative and congratulatory speeches
- Torch Relay
- Performance by the Hanam Boys and Girls Choir, and reflected on the meaning of Citizens’ Day.
At the Citizen Meritorious Service Awards Ceremony, the following awards were presented to encourage citizens who have dedicated themselves to the development of Hanam City:
- Gyeonggi Province Citizen Award
- Hanam Citizen Award
- Hanam City Council Chairman Award
- National Assembly Member Award
Furthermore, the Mayor of Hanam presented letters of appreciation and scholarships to express gratitude to those who have made significant contributions to the local community.
On this day, Mayor Lee Hyeon-jae said in his commemorative speech, “ I would like to give a warm welcome to the citizens who joined us for the 36th Hanam Citizens’ Day, ” and expressed his gratitude, saying, “ Thanks to the participation and support of the citizens, such as the Misa Hangang Sand Road, improvement of living conditions in the old city center, and enhancement of transportation convenience in the new city, the external evaluation that it is a ‘ city good to live in ’ is being proven. ”
He continued, “ With the belief that the citizens are always the owners of Hanam, we have actively reflected the voices of citizens in city administration, even though there were difficulties at times, ” and presented the task of raising the low gross regional domestic product (GRDP) per capita to make it the “ No. 1 city to live in. ”
To this end, the mayor presented Hanam’s future vision as a “global performing arts center ” popular with people around the world. In particular, he designated the creation of K-Star World as a strategic project responsible for the future of the Republic of Korea. He expressed his ambition to complete “Hanam, the cultural city ” by building on the success of cultural performances that have attracted 330,000 participants over the past three years. In addition, he expressed a strong will to realize the vision of ‘ Hanam, a corporate city.
He plans to develop Camp Colburn and Gyo-san New Town into the heart of high-tech industries, attract ‘ large anchor companies ‘ that will change the future, and continuously create quality jobs, such as the achievement of attracting the tentatively named Yonsei Hanam Hospital, which will begin construction on the 30th.
Lastly, the mayor proposed, “ Let’s all politicians and citizens from both the ruling and opposition parties work together to create a city where people want to live and take a leap forward, Hanam. ’ ”
Following the ceremony, a sports competition was held with the participation of approximately 23,000 citizens, featuring five events, including tug-of-war and team jump rope, with Gami-dong taking the overall championship. A hula hoop competition, featuring both disabled and non-disabled participants, further enhanced the sense of unity.
In particular, the various experience booths set up in the auxiliary stadium, such as the children’s air bounce, police car and fire truck riding experiences, and folk games, received a great response from families.
In addition, the ‘2025 Hanam Iseongsanseong Cultural Festival ‘ hosted by Hanam City and organized by the Hanam Cultural Foundation also played a role as one of the festival’s main events. Although it closed a day early on the 28th due to rain, it was decorated as a festival where ‘ citizens were the main characters ‘ for two days from the 26th to the 27th, and boasted the largest scale ever, with 16,500 citizens and tourists attending.
The festival kicked off with a prelude held at Seokbadae Market on the 26th. A special night market utilizing coins, a street singing contest for citizens, and a children’s dance competition were among the many programs that garnered a great response from the citizens. Congratulatory performances by invited singers Kim Yong-im and Gyuri further fueled the excitement.
On the 27th, the main event was held in conjunction with the Citizens’ Day Sports Festival, and Tae Jin-ah, Jo Sung-mo, and Spider graced the stage, thrilling the citizens who filled the stadium. On the evening of the same day, at the Hanam Cultural Arts Center, 51 citizen models graced the runway with the ‘K-Fashion in Hanam ‘ fashion show and night performance, followed by a DJ performance by ‘ New Jinsnim ‘, which drew an explosive response from the younger generation.
During the festival, historical commentary programs and stamp tours were held at the main stage, Iseongsanseong Fortress, providing an opportunity to learn about and enjoy the history of Hanam .
Additionally, the art center and playground area were filled with a variety of experience booths for families, including the ‘ Isungsanseong Museum Outside ‘ exhibition , AR experiences , traditional martial arts demonstrations , and AI Samulnori .
Mayor Lee Hyeon-jae said, “ This festival has become a true festival where citizens and tourists can come together to enjoy Hanam’s history and culture, ” and added, “ We will continue to develop cultural tourism festivals together with citizens so that Hanam can grow into a ‘K-culture hub city . ’ ”
