Turtle Island Conducts On-site Survey to Host 2026 Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival
Nov 13, 2024
- The Korean Harmonica Federation leadership held a practical consultation at Geobuk Island
On September 6, the Korea Harmonica Federation conducted a field survey on Geobuk Island, Siheung-si, Gyeonggi-do, arranged by the international cultural organization Culture Masters, to host the 15th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival.
The Korea Harmonica Federation’s President Lee Hye-bong and Advisor Hwang Gyu-wan visited the event, and Culture Masters’ CEO Park Seong-yong, Korea Shinjungnyeon Central Hee Organization Director Choi Byeong-seok, and Siheung citizens accompanied them to conduct the field survey, and Geobuk Island’s geographical environment and overall facility conditions were inspected as an event venue.
Jang Sang-yuk, the head of the Culture Masters Planning and General Affairs Office, introduced the cultural potential and facilities of Geobuk Island and emphasized its advantages and development potential as a venue for international competitions. In the process, the Korea Harmonica Federation responded positively to Geobuk Island’s charm and expressed anticipation for the potential for regional revitalization through the festival.
The 15th Asia Pacific Harmonica Festival, scheduled to be held in Korea for ten days around mid-August 2026, will be a venue for harmonica players and enthusiasts from the Asia and Pacific regions to gather, interact, and perform. The event aims to promote cultural tourism and local economic activation through harmonica, and it is expected that about 3,000 to 4,000 overseas participants will attend.
The voluntary efforts of the residents to revive Geobuk Island are an important milestone for the recovery of the local economy and the activation of tourism. As the residents are actively seeking to attract large-scale international events as part of urban regeneration, Siheung City and Gyeonggi Province should reflect their wishes in their policies and spare no support to successfully attract and operate large-scale international cultural events such as the Harmonica Festival on Geobuk Island.
The current Geobuk Island, where vacancies are increasing every day, unfortunately has the appearance of a 'ghost town' as someone pointed out. The fact that only the residents who invested in this reality have to endure is something that should never happen in the Republic of Korea, which aims for a 21st century community society and boasts an advanced system. Now is the time for the local community, local government, and even the national level to work together to establish Geobuk Island as a true cultural landmark.