Festivals - Korea travel and tourism information

Gwangalli Eobang Festival (광안리어방축제)

2025-01-03

219 Gwanganhaebyeon-ro, Suyeong-gu, Busan
+82-51-610-4062

The Gwangalli Eobang Festival, held on the famous Gwangalli Beach, known for its fireworks and drone shows, aims to showcase Gwangalli‘s rich history beyond its popularity as a tourist destination. The festival is a manifestation of the history and cultural value of Jwasuyeong Eobang Nori (Fishing Village Festival of the Left Naval Headquarters), a national intangible cultural heritage of Korea. The festival provides attractions and activities of a fishing village that retains its tradition and elements of modernity. A street parade reenacts the procession of Gyeongsang Jwasusa, commander of the Busan naval forces during the Joseon Dynasty. Visitors can check out the musical Eobang, which is the main event of the festival, as well as more than 20 exhibitions and activities in the folk village. The village has recreated the old naval barracks and fishing villages, and actors dressed as jwasusa, sugun (navy soldier), and jumo (barmaid) go around the village to entertain visitors.

◎ Eobang
Following the establishment of Gyeongsang Jwasuyeong (naval forces) in the Suyeong regions during the Joseon Dynasty, the affiliation “Eobang” was formed between the naval forces and local fishermen. “Eobang” holds a similar meaning to the fishery cooperatives of today.

Cancelled: Daegaya Festival (대가야체험축제)

2022-05-09

1216, Daegaya-ro, Goryeong-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-54-950-6424

Daegaya (AD 42-562) was a nation that inhabited the Korean Peninsula around the 4th Century. The nation was a sophisticated nation that even at this early age possessed extremely high standards of culture. They created the Gayageum (a twelve-stringed traditional Korean harp). Through the relics found in the area, the nation was thought to be a powerful force in the area (now Gyeongsangnam-do). This festival offers various interactive programs to experience the nation with relic exhibition, wooden boat-making and others. Also, tourists can experience the farming culture like harvesting strawberries from the nearby rural village.

Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival (영암왕인문화축제)

2025-01-07

440 Wangin-ro, Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do
+82-61-470-2347

The Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival is a local event held to honor the birth of the Baekje scholar Wangin and his achievements. The festival’s main event is the parade. With the dance troupe leading the procession, the Pungmul troupe and Yeongam-gun residents follow in the dance, playing musical instruments and waving flags. The parade takes you to historical sites where traces of the scholar remain. The festival reinterprets Wangin’s humanistic values through modern perspectives, featuring major content utilizing letters and typography. It also highlights the craftsmen (ceramics, tile, and Buddhist artisans) who, along with Wangin, influenced the Asuka culture in Japan. The festival is praised for showcasing the social, political, and economic changes in Japan initiated by Wangin’s visit to Japan, making it one of Korea’s prominent humanities festivals.

Ulsan Onggi Festival (울산옹기축제)

2025-01-06

36 Oegosan 3-gil, Onyang-eup, Ulju-gun, Ulsan
+82-52-980-2233

Ulsan Onggi Festival is held annually in early May in Oegosan Onggi Village in Ulju-gun, renowned for its traditional onggi (earthenware)-making techniques. The festival promotes the regional specialty, onggi, contributing to the spread of everyday onggi and the development of traditional industries. The main event, “Touch of the Onggi Master,” features demonstrations by master onggi artisans from Oegosan. There are various hands-on activities for children, including stepping on clay, playing with clay, and making and firing onggi. Visitors can also learn about the uses of onggi in food storage and fermentation, and view onggi from around the world. Don’t miss the opportunity to taste local specialties and foods from Ulju.

◎ Onggi
Onggi is a type of bowl crafted from soil, using water, fire, and wind. This traditional pottery has been produced since the Three Kingdoms period and is well-suited for long-term food storage due to its excellent ventilation and preservative capabilities.

Jarasum Jazz Festival (자라섬재즈페스티벌)

2023-05-24

1-1, Daljeon-ri, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do
• 1330 Travel Hotline: +82-2-1330 (Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese) • For more info: +82-31-581-2813~4

The Jarasum International Jazz Festival is held every October on the beautiful Jaraseom Island in Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do. During the festival, world-famous jazz artists come together to delight audiences with the smooth vibes of live jazz.

As a Green Life Honorary Ambassador, the festival is also passionate about environmental protection. In order to share the external growth with the community, the festival holds Gapyeong Band Contest, publishes Gapyeong Restaurant Guidebook, and produces Jazz Makgeolli and Jazz Wine made from the region’s produce.

Gwangju Kimchi Festival (광주김치축제)

2025-01-10

111 Naebang-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju
+82-62-613-3955

The Gwangju Kimchi Festival is Korea’s representative kimchi festival, offering a variety of kimchi products for purchase and the chance to taste various kimchi dishes. Highlights include the “Thousand People’s Table” featuring diverse kimchi cuisine, a competition to discover kimchi masters, and a kimchi experience school with a range of engaging programs.

Yeongju Punggi Insam Festival (경북영주 풍기인삼축제)

2025-01-06

Seongnae-ri, Punggi-eup, Yeongju-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do
+82-54-635-0020

Ginseng is a well-known traditional Korean medicinal herb. The Punggi Ginseng Festival, held in Yeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, famous for its high-quality ginseng, is a health-themed food festival centered around ginseng. The festival features health-related exhibits and offers opportunities to taste healthy ginseng dishes at the ginseng cooking exhibition. Visitors can also participate in Punggi ginseng-related interesting activities such as making Punggi ginseng wine and peeling ginseng in the traditional Korean way. The festival offers a variety of ginseng products, including fresh ginseng, original ginseng, red ginseng, and ginseng processed foods, which are all grown by local farmers in Yeongju and sold at reasonable prices. Additionally, the festival showcases local specialties and symbols such as ginseng and Yeongju apples through oil lantern displays along Namwoncheon Stream. With so many attractions, visitors are sure to have a great time at the festival.

Hansan Ramie Fabric Cultural Festival (한산모시문화제)

2025-01-08

1089 Chungjeol-ro, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
+82-41-950-4256

Ramie fabric is a traditional Korean cloth with good ventilation, making it the fabric of choice for summer clothing. Hansan’s ramie is used to make high-end clothing due to its delicate and elegant texture. It is also an eco-friendly fiber that is extracted from ramie grass and weaved into a loom. Hansan’s ramie weaving was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2011 in recognition of its unique production technology as well as its ability to strengthen community solidarity in the process. At the Hansan Ramie Fabric Cultural Festival, visitors can participate in the “Ramie School” program and learn the weaving process. Other attractions include Gilssam Nori, a ramie-weaving work, and a fashion show featuring clothes made from Hansan ramie is a highlight not to be missed.

◎ Tip
During the festival, a free shuttle bus operates from the Hansan Mosi Hall parking lot to the festival venue.

Sancheong Medicinal Herb Festival (산청한방약초축제)

2025-01-07

61 Donguibogam-ro 555beon-gil, Geumseo-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do
+82-55-970-6601

The Sancheong Herbal Medicinal Festival is a celebration for those interested in traditional herbal medicine. Dongui bogam (Principles and Practice of Eastern Medicine) and its author, Heo Jun, are highly regarded in Korean medicine. Sancheong, where Heo Jun studied, is home to Jirisan Mountain, rich in medicinal herbs with over 1,000 species and often seen as a treasure trove by Korean medicine doctors. The festival features Korean medicine clinics offering treatments like acupuncture, while the festival square is transformed into an herbal garden with photo zones, tea drinking spots, spaces for making herbal flower pots, and exhibitions and sales of herbal flower pot goods. Visitors can also participate in making herbal sweet rice puffs, nostalgic herbal dalgona candy, herbal cocktails, and herbal tea brewed in a large decoction pot.

◎ Dongui bogam
Dongui bogam is a medical encyclopedia completed in 1610, written by Heo Jun after a meticulous study and observation of medical books and practices of China and Joseon. It is considered the best medical encyclopedia in the East and was registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World in 2009.

Yeoncheon Paleolithic Festival (연천 구석기축제)

2025-01-02

1510 Yangyeon-ro, Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do
+82-31-832-2570

A prehistoric cultural festival is held at the Archaeological Site in Jeongok-ri, where the first humans inhabited the Korean Peninsula. In 1978, the discovery of an Acheulean hand axe in Jeongok-ri, Yeoncheon, garnered global attention, challenging Movius’s theory that divided Paleolithic cultures into Eastern and Western categories. Being recognized for its significance in world prehistoric culture, the festival began as a small event in 1993 to promote and preserve the important Jeongok-ri archaeological site. Now, it has grown into a large-scale festival, attracting over 100,000 visitors each year. Every May, Yeoncheon becomes a hub for experiencing prehistoric cultures from around the world. This special experiential festival offers a unique opportunity to explore the wisdom of early humans who lived in harmony with nature, providing unforgettable inspiration and enjoyment.

◎ Acheulean Hand Axe
The Acheulean hand axe is a stone tool from the Paleolithic period discovered at the archaeological site in Jeongok-ri. It features double-edged blades that exhibit skilled craftsmanship.

Festivals - Korea travel information