2026 Ansan City Lifelong Learning Festival Concludes with 37 Awardees and 8 Club Presentations

Ansan has concluded the 2026 Ansan City Lifelong Learning Festival, which was held on October 24 in the vicinity of Hwarang Recreation Area to mark the 20th anniversary of the city's designation as a lifelong learning city. On October 29, the city announced the results of the event, stating it was organized to share the achievements of lifelong learning clubs and related organizations with citizens and to share the value of learning. The venue hosted an award ceremony, promotional and experiential spaces, club presentations, a citizen participation talk show, and youth busking, followed by performances by invited singers. During the opening ceremony, 37 people were recognized across four different categories.

Held at Hwarang Recreation Area for the 20th Anniversary of Lifelong Learning City Designation

This event was prepared to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Ansan's designation as a lifelong learning city. Ansan explained that through the event, it introduced the activities of lifelong learning clubs and related institutions, allowing citizens to share the value of learning together. The event took place at Hwarang Recreation Area on October 24. In a release distributed on October 29 following the conclusion of the event, the city stated that it had completed this festival held with its citizens.

In a preliminary notice on October 19, the theme of the event was introduced as "20 Years of Learning with Citizens, Connecting Ansan's Tomorrow," and it was announced that the event would be held at Hwarang Recreation Area from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The advance notice previewed major schedules including the operation of promotional and experiential spaces related to lifelong learning, club presentations, a conversation with broadcaster Kim Young-chul, and performances by singers SEULGI and Jeong Jun-gyo. The details released by the city after the event included the actual programs conducted, such as promotional and experiential spaces, club presentations, a talk show, youth busking, and invited singer performances.

Ansan stated that this year marks the 40th anniversary of its elevation to city status and the 20th anniversary of its designation as a lifelong learning city. The festival, held in alignment with these two commemorative years, consisted of opening ceremony awards, experiential activities, and stage programs. The event did not stop at introducing lifelong learning-related activities but also operated programs where citizens could directly experience and watch performances. The city stated it would continue to provide various learning opportunities so that citizens can enjoy the joy of learning in their daily lives and grow through lifelong learning.

37 People Awarded in Four Categories at the Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony included commendations for exemplary persons with disabilities and workers, appreciation plaques for food hygiene-related organizations, awards for contributions to vitalizing lifelong learning, and awards for the Danwon Art Festival. According to Ansan, a total of 37 people were selected for awards across the four categories. The awards at this opening ceremony were composed of four distinct fields: commendations for exemplary persons with disabilities and workers, appreciation plaques for food hygiene-related organizations, awards for vitalizing lifelong learning, and the Danwon Art Festival awards.

The awards for contributions to vitalizing lifelong learning, which are directly linked to the purpose of the event, were presented during the opening ceremony. These were joined by commendations for exemplary persons with disabilities and workers, appreciation plaques for food hygiene-related organizations, and the Danwon Art Festival awards. Therefore, the released event results state that 37 people were awarded across all four categories.

The opening ceremony was held as the official sequence of the Lifelong Learning Festival, which included the award ceremony among various programs. In addition to the awards, the event featured experiential spaces, club presentations, and a citizen participation talk show. While the advance notice previewed the opening ceremony programs as including commendations for those contributing to vitalizing lifelong learning, the screening of commemorative videos, and congratulatory speeches, the data released by the city after the event focused on introducing the award categories and the number of people actually awarded during the opening ceremony.

Experiential Spaces Ranging from Calligraphy to Woodworking and Traditional Games

Promotional and experiential spaces were prepared at the venue so that citizens could directly encounter learning in various fields. The experiential items released by the city included calligraphy for decorating handwriting, keychain making, English experience, woodworking, rattan crafts, and traditional games. Participants were able to experience different types of programs on-site, such as hands-on activities, language experiences, crafts, and traditional games. The city explained that through these spaces, it enabled citizens to experience various forms of learning in their daily lives.

The programs were not limited to a single learning topic. Calligraphy and keychain making were introduced as hands-on decorating or making experiences, while the English experience was provided as a language learning activity. Woodworking and rattan crafts were also included in the experiential spaces, and a traditional games program was operated. The released data contained the types of experiences and the fact that they were provided at the venue.

The preliminary notice on October 19 introduced that promotional and experiential spaces related to lifelong learning would be operated at the venue and that experiential events would be prepared for citizens to directly experience the activities. It also announced plans for activities for family visitors, such as popcorn, balloons, wood play, bubbles, and face painting. The results released by the city after the event listed the actual programs operated: calligraphy, keychain making, English experience, woodworking, rattan crafts, and traditional games. Comparing the preliminary notice and the post-event data, the advance notice contained the preparation plans, while the post-event data contained the specific types of experiential spaces that were conducted.

8 Clubs Present, Talk Show, and Youth Busking

A total of 8 clubs participated in the lifelong learning club presentation. Ansan stated that the clubs shared their activity results through the presentation. The advance notice had also previewed a schedule where a total of 8 clubs would participate to share their learning achievements with citizens.

As a citizen participation program, a talk show with broadcaster Kim Young-chul was held. The city explained that it had time to communicate with citizens through the talk show. The advance notice announced that a time for conversation would be arranged by inviting Kim Young-chul to share stories about lifelong learning, life, and new challenges. The data released after the event conveyed the fact that the talk show took place and that it was a time for communicating with citizens.

One citizen who participated in the event said, "It was good to have new experiences that are usually difficult to encounter through various experiential programs. If there is another opportunity, I would like to participate again." Mayor Lee Min-keun of Ansan said, "This year is the year we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the city's elevation and the 20th anniversary of its designation as a lifelong learning city. We will continue to provide various learning opportunities so that citizens can enjoy the joy of learning in their daily lives and grow through lifelong learning."

Ansan has concluded this festival held for the 20th anniversary of its designation as a lifelong learning city, and Mayor Lee Min-keun stated that various learning opportunities for citizens will continue to be provided. The event results released by the city include the fact that it was held on October 24, as well as the programs, the number of awardees, and the scale of participation in the club presentations.

Read the original (Korean)