Daejeon Zero O'clock Festival (대전 0시 축제) has captured the hearts of people around the world with its unique content of time travel, affirming its possibility of leaping into a global festival.
The Daejeon Zero O'clock Festival was selected as one of the '100 Best K-Culture Events' even before the opening of the festival, affirming the possibility of expanding the festival content. Moreover, after its opening, it is also an achievement that it can be expected to grow into a substantial festival by securing sustainable content along with the proclamation of the night scenery of the original city center.
Visitors to Daejeon Zero O'clock Festival were not only domestic tourists but also many foreigners coming to this festival to enjoy the dynamic there.
For instance, more than 40 Brazilian members, who participated in the 2023 Saemangeum World Scout Jamboree (2023 새만금 세계스카우트잼버리에), came and stayed in Daejeon to visit the festival. They participated in a variety of festival activities, and even K-pop concert from 6 to 11 p.m.
Immersing the energetic vibe of the festival, Brazilian members wore festival T-shirts and carried Brazilian flags showing up at the venue. Many citizens recognized them and welcomed them by waving their hands to greet and cheer. The Brazilian scouts responded in kind, engaging with locals in high-fives and offering friendly exchanges in Korean such as "안녕하세요" (hello) and "반갑습니다" (nice to meet you)
One Brazilian shared his impressions, stating, "Daejeon is incredibly dynamic, and the city itself has a youthful vibe. If given the chance, I would love to visit again". He went on to express his gratitude for the warm reception from the citizens and declared that the memories of enjoying the festival and the K-Pop concert from the other side of the globe would stay with him for a lifetime.
Overseas students' promotion of the Daejeon Zero O'clock Festival also contributed to the festival. The city appointed 60 international students from 24 countries attending six universities in the region as festival supporters at midnight. They actively promoted the festival on personal SNS accounts and overseas media and also helped by supporting interpretations and festival guidance for foreign tourists in the festival.
Foreign tourists can be seen throughout the festival as they cheered for the media art and media facade using AI, and immersed themselves in the festival while enjoying the K-POP concert and the World DJ Festival that was held on the 12th.
The Travel Lounge (트래블 라운지), located in Jungang-ro, was also crowded with foreigners to get information on the Daejeon Zero O'clock Festival and Daejeon tourism. An officer from the Travel Lounge said, "There are more people asking about the Zero O'clock Festival in Daejeon than any other previous festivals. In the future, the Zero O'clock Festival should be translated into various languages in order to be widely reached out".
The Mayor of Daejeon City, Mr. Lee Jang-woo (이장우) expressed his aspirations for the event, "The Zero O’clock Festival aims to transform into a global festival that can attract more than a million tourists to become a world-class festival, allowing participants to savor the full excitement and charm of Daejeon. It is our hope that this summer urban nightlife festival, enjoyed by people from all around the globe, will open up new horizons for the K-Festival”.
