People visit Daejeon to enjoy the Daejeon Zero O'clock Festival, August 2023. Courtesy of Daejeon Metropolitan City

Daejeon Zero O'Clock Festival, the city's iconic event, is slated to kick off from Aug. 9 to 17 at Daejeon Station and the vicinity of the former South Chungcheong Provincial Office.

Under the theme of "time travel festival," the venue will be partitioned into past, present and future zones, with events tailored to each zone's distinct characteristics.

The festival will showcase eight of the city's mascot characters, providing designated areas for visitors to capture photos with them, and the characters will also roam throughout the festival grounds.

Highlighting the festival's roots, the railway section will be adorned with various decorative elements.

Tourism train services will be expanded, offering journeys accompanied by songs related to Daejeon. Collaborating with Korea Railroad Corp. (KORAIL), the city plans to offer tourism packages and a range of promotional, performance, exhibition and experiential programs utilizing railway and station themes.

With aspirations to transform the Daejeon Zero O'Clock Festival into a global event, the city government has invited overseas art troupes to perform in commercial districts, aiming to infuse global content into the event.

Additionally, they recruited 100 global supporters from 23 countries, including China, Russia, Vietnam and India, who will help actively promote the event.

Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo expressed ambitions for the city to become a hub of international cultural exchange through the festival. He outlined plans to expand the festival into a global network, drawing interest and participation from a diverse global audience.

"It is important to showcase the city to foreign visitors with various contents to foster greater international engagement and appreciation for the city's cultural offerings," he said.

The city is striving for a significant turnout at the festival this year, aiming to attract 2 million visitors and generate economic benefits totaling 300 billion won ($25.6 million).

Last year, the festival drew 1.09 million visitors, generating an estimated economic ripple effect of 173.9 billion won, according to the city government.

"We aim to transform the Daejeon Zero O'Clock Festival into a global event so that it can also contribute to the local economy," Lee said.