The Namhae German Village Oktoberfest, which takes place in Namhae, South Gyeongsang Province, has decided to extend its festival period to four days for the first time since its launch in 2010.

The village, long known for its distinctly foreign ambience in South Korea, has garnered local travelers' attention with its annual beer festival based on Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany.

The decision to extend the festival period, previously held for two to three days, was made in response to its rising popularity and to meet the expectations of both local and overseas festivalgoers, according to a Namhae County official.

Visitors can be immersed into the traditional German culture, performances and concerts and enjoy parties in the evening with sausage, small bites and other authentic German cuisine.

Beer lovers can quench their thirst not only with German beer, but also with bottled beer from Namhae-based breweries.

In the early 2000s, Namhae German Village was built by Koreans who had gone to work in Germany primarily as nurses and miners in the 1960s and '70s and returned to Korea after retirement, many of them coming back with German spouses.

The village was first settled by about 75 families and was considered “Little Germany of Korea” by local tourists here.

Detailed information on online applications and the schedule for this year’s Namhae German Village Oktoberfest are yet to be decided, according to the official.