Goseong Pollock Festival
The Goseong Pollock Festival is a local cultural festival that reinterprets pollock culture—a historical and cultural asset of Goseong-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province—in a contemporary format. From October 2 to 5, 2026, the beach in 11-ri, Geojin-eup, will be set up as the festival ground, with three themed areas in operation: ‘Discovery of Pollock’, ‘Discovery of Residents’, and ‘Discovery of the Sea’.
The festival’s programming spans eating, making, and enjoying pollock. Visitors can explore a pollock gourmet zone, watch chef live cooking, try self-cooking experiences, and take part in pollock crafts and play. Local residents, artists, military personnel, and youth also take part directly, through performances, a village broadcasting station, and the sale of food and props. On the beach, activities include bare-hand live fish catching, a sea playground, and Silent DJ.
Decentralized stages, continuous programs, and shuttle operations are intended to create a stay-type festival ground, so visitors can arrive at different times of the day and still find a full program in progress.
Discovery of Pollock
- Evil-averting pollock chainsaw art
- Pollock drawing contest
- Pollock memory story contest
- Goseong-eo-ryo
- Chef live cooking
- Pollock gourmet zone
- Self-cooking zone
- Pollock craft/one-day class
- Sale of processed pollock products
- Pollock playground
Discovery of Residents
- Safety prayer ceremony
- Local performances
- Invited performances
- Talent shows by military personnel and youth
- Pollock village broadcasting station
- Resident-run pollock restaurants and prop sales
Discovery of the Sea
- Pollock beach bar
- Sea playground
- Bare-hand live fish catching
- Navy ship tour
- AI music festival
- Beach walking
- Fire dancing
- Silent DJ
Getting Around and Convenience
A shuttle operates between Geojin Port and the festival site. Rest areas are available, and guidance is provided on connections to tourist attractions in Goseong-gun and the local commercial districts of Geojin.
Practical Information
- 🗓️ 2026.10.02 ~ 2026.10.05
- 📍 125 Haeoreumhaebyeon-gil, Geojin-eup, Goseong-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province
- 💰 Free admission (Some experience booths and sales booths are paid)
- 📞 033-681-0121
- 🛏️ Accommodations near the event
Pollock is a cold-water whitefish in the cod family, found in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. In Korea it is called myeongtae (명태), and it has been a regular part of coastal cooking for generations, especially along the eastern shore of Gangwon Province.
The fish is lean and mild, and its usefulness comes from the number of ways it can be kept and cooked. Fresh pollock, or saengtae (생태), goes into soups and stews. Dried pollock, or hwangtae (황태), develops a concentrated, nutty flavor and a chewy texture. Frozen pollock is known as dongtae (동태), and the roe is salted and fermented into changnan-jeot (창란젓). The flesh, bones, innards, and eggs all have their uses, so little of the catch is wasted.
The Goseong Pollock Festival is built around this local staple. Visitors can sample the various preparations, try catching pollock themselves, and see why the fish has mattered to the region’s diet and economy for centuries.
