The 2026 National Heritage Media Art event, lighting up the night sky at Mireuksa Temple Site in Iksan, North Jeolla Province, has sparked nationwide box-office success right from its opening week.

The city of Iksan announced that the number of visitors to the Mireuksa Temple Site media art exhibition surpassed 37,000 over the six days following its opening on the 4th.

The buzz surrounding this hit was partly driven by "Pungyangjung," a travel segment on the popular YouTube channel DdeunDdeun.

The "Pungyangjung" content, featuring national MC Yu Jae-seok and guests heading to Iksan relying solely on a single map without a navigation system, has exceeded 25 million cumulative views.

Among netizens, the nickname "Iksan Odyssey," comparing it to a 10-million-viewer film, has gained immense popularity.


Capitalizing on this online buzz, the city of Iksan has launched "Iksan Odyssey" parody short-form videos and festival promotions through major social media channels including its official Instagram, blog, and YouTube.

The media art displayed at the Mireuksa Temple Site spans 100 meters in width and 30 meters in height, offering an overwhelming level of immersion completely different from regular theater screens.

By projecting a wooden pagoda of light between the eastern and western pagodas, the entire historical site has been transformed into a massive stage.

This is more than three times the width of the 31-meter screen at the Yongsan IMAX in Seoul, which is the largest of its kind in South Korea.

Park Sung-il, head of the Cultural Heritage Division at the Iksan City government, stated, "High interest in Iksan is naturally translating into actual night visits to the Mireuksa Temple Site. We hope visitors will step away from movie screens and experience the breath of the 1,400-year-old Baekje royal capital firsthand amidst the brilliant lights of Mireuksa stretching on a scale that far surpasses the Yongsan IMAX."

The Mireuksa Temple Site media art exhibition in Iksan runs every night until the 27th around the Mireuksa Temple Site area.


(Photo courtesy of Iksan City, Yonhap News)