Festivals - Korea travel and tourism information

Gwangyang Maehwa Festival (광양 매화축제)

2024-02-26

55 Jimak 1-gil, Gwangyang-si, Jeollanam-do
+82-61-797-2721

Gwangyang Maehwa Festival takes place next to the Seomjingang River in Gwangyang Maehwa Village, home of the largest number of plum blossom trees in Korea. During the festival period, visitors can enjoy a walk beneath the plum blossoms, and also sample and purchase local organic plum products.

Bangeo Festival (최남단 방어축제)

2024-11-20

30 Hamohanggu-ro, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do
+82-64-794-8032

This popular festival is held every year in November at Moseulpohang Port, the southernmost region of Jeju-do Island. It celebrates ‘Bangeo Fish (yellowtail)’, which is largely caught in this area. The taste of ‘bangeo fish (yellowtail)’ is chewy and tender, and so it is very popular served raw. It is also used in a variety of other dishes. Visitors can enjoy fresh bangeo fish at the festival and take some home.

Visitors can also try fishing and sample Jeju’s other specialty foods such as heukdweji-gogigui (grilled pork), galchijorim (cutlass fish boiled in soy sauce with spices), and more. Don’t forget to admire the beautiful natural sceneries near the festival grounds and explore some of the many popular tourist attractions in Jeju.

Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival (김해분청도자기 축제)

2025-07-11

17 Buncheong-ro, Jillye-myeon, Gimhae-si, Gyeongsangnam-do
+82-55-330-3245

The Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival highlights the excellence of Buncheong ceramics and their everyday appeal. The festival offers a chance to see a wide variety of ceramics and participate in hands-on activities such as traditional kiln firing.

Jeongseon Arirang Festival (정선아리랑제)

2025-07-10

Bongyang-ri, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do
+82-33-560-3013

Arirang is a globally renowned Korean folk song. The song is rooted in many different regions and thus Korea has several versions of “Arirang.” “Jeongseon Arirang” is the source of all “Arirang,” and in recognition of its value, it was registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2012. The Jeongseon Arirang Festival is held to preserve and develop the folk song. It starts off with the Chilhyeon Ritual Ceremony, held in honor of the patriotic fidelity of chilhyeon, the seven loyalists in the last years of the Goryeo dynasty who appear in the origin story of “Jeongseon Arirang.” The ceremony also prays for a successful festival and the well-being of the county’s people. The festival features 83 events, including the Arirang Parade and the National Arirang Singing Contest.

◎ Jeongseon Arirang
Before attending the Jeongseon Arirang Festival, it is recommended to listen to “Jeongseon Arirang.” Hearing its melodious highs and lows while viewing the winding mountain ridges surrounding Jeongseon will enhance your understanding and appreciation of “Jeongseon Arirang.”

◎ Chilhyeon Ritual Ceremony
The Chilhyeon Ritual Ceremony honors the patriotic loyalty of seven sages—Jeon O-ryun, Sin An, Kim Chung-han, Yi Su-saeng, Byeon Gwi-su, Kim Wi, and Go Cheon-u—who remained loyal to Goryeo Dynasty during its fall.

Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival (안성맞춤 남사당 바우덕이축제)

2025-07-10

198-2 Namsadang-ro, Anseong-si, Gyeonggi-do
+82-31-678-2511

The Namsadang Noripae, which was at the heart of popular culture during the Joseon dynasty, can be likened to today’s touring musical theater companies. Anseong is the birthplace of the Namsadang, which expressed the joys and sorrows of the times through various forms of entertainment. The Anseong Namsadang Baudeogi Festival inherits the tradition and culture of Namsadang and the artistic spirit of Baudeogi, the first female to have become the leader of Namsadang troupe in the Joseon dynasty. It is designated as an official festival of the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFFⓇ), an official partner of UNESCO since 2006. Namsadang Nori (Itinerant Troupe Performance) is held at the festival, along with other shows, including Pungmul Nori (Folk Music and Dance Performance) and foreign folk performances. Visitors can catch the tightrope show every day, which is performed on a rope three meters off the ground. Other attractions include the reenactment of a traditional Korean wedding and royal procession and the World Parade.

◎ Namsadang and Baudeogi
Namsadang was a performance troupe that went around singing, dancing, and performing various tricks. The troupe was initially composed of single men, but women also came to be members after the female performer and leader Baudeogi.

Daegu Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Festival (대구약령시한방문화축제)

2025-07-11

Namseong-ro, Jung-gu, Daegu
+82-53-254-1658

Daegu Yangnyeongsi Herbal Medicine Festival, held in the 366-year-old Daegu Yangnyeongsi, offers a rich experience of traditional herbal medicine culture. Visitors can enjoy free consultations with herbal medicine doctors, herbal foot baths, and unique programs such as Joseon Gutpan: Herbal Club and Zombie Street.

Gwangalli Eobang Festival (광안리어방축제)

2025-07-11

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)

2025-07-11

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 visitors 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.

Gochang Moyang Fortress Festival (고창모양성제)

2024-07-17

Eumnae-ri, Gochang-eup, Gochang-gun, Jeonbuk-do
+82-63-560-2949

Gochang Moyang Fortress Festival has been held since 1973 to inspire admiration for the construction of the walled town, develop local culture, and encourage love and pride for Gochang residents. Main events include a celebration and memorial ceremony, with additional events ranging from a pansori performance and farming music to folk games and archery. Many people participate in the Dapseongnori event, where participants carry a rock on top of their heads and walk around the fortress three times. Doing this is said to cure all illnesses, grant a long and healthy life, and allow one into heaven.

Festivals - Korea travel information