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SUNN Festival 2026 in Goseong
Culture and Exchange at the Inter-Korean Border

The SUNN Festival, held on October 3 and 4, 2026, provided a new impetus for cultural exchange and regional development in the South Korean county of Goseong. The Hanns Seidel Foundation supported the initiative as part of its collaboration with the border region, which has been in place since 2005.

On October 3 and 4, 2026, the SUNN Festival took place in Goseong County, South Korea. Under the theme “A Festival Blooming at the Boundary,” the event combined electronic music, art, and cultural exchange with the unique history and landscape of the inter-Korean border region. Organized by the cultural organizations PERMIT and Partisans and supported by, among others, Goseong County, the German Embassy in Seoul, and the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF), the festival brought together Korean and German cultural professionals as well as local stakeholders.

The festival was preceded by the Goseong Specialized Culture Strategy International Forum on July 3, 2026. At the conference—which was also supported by HSF—representatives from government, culture, and the creative industries discussed how Goseong’s unique history as a county divided by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) can open up new perspectives for cultural and regional development. A key point of reference was the experience of Berlin, where, following the fall of the Berlin Wall, techno culture in particular evolved into an expression of social interaction and cultural openness.

For the Hanns Seidel Foundation, these initiatives build on more than 20 years of cooperation with Goseong. Since 2005, HSF Korea has supported the region, particularly in the areas of sustainable regional development, environmental protection, and biodiversity conservation, as well as through the exchange of experiences between Germany and South Korea. This includes the partnership between the counties of Goseong and Bayreuth, which was facilitated by the HSF and is set to be revitalized and further developed in the future.

The SUNN Festival demonstrates just how diverse this collaboration has become. In addition to the existing focal areas, new approaches and partnerships are emerging that extend beyond the HSF’s immediate work. Culture and the creative industries can open up additional opportunities to bring people together and highlight the potential of the border region.

HSF Korea will continue to support Goseong as a long-standing partner and foster exchange in both established and new areas of focus. The intersection of the environment, regional development, and cultural exchange, in particular, offers interesting prospects in this regard.