Hwacheon Ice Country Mountain Trout Festival

🗓️ 2027.01.09 ~ 2027.01.31

The following festival details are from the 2026 festival; details for the 2027 festival are currently being updated

The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival—also known in English as the Hwacheon Ice Country Mountain Trout Festival—is held every January in Hwacheon, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province. In 2011, CNN selected it as one of the “7 Wonders of Winter,” and it now attracts over one million visitors each year. The festival takes place on the Hwacheon Stream, a body of water known for its clear quality and for the sancheoneo, or mountain trout, that live there. When the stream freezes solid, the site becomes a winter playground for fishing, sledding, and other cold-weather activities.

What makes this festival distinctive is that visitors take part rather than just watch. Ice fishing is available on-site or by reservation, and there are also bare-handed catching and lure fishing options. After catching a mountain trout—often called the “Queen of the Valley”—you can have it served immediately as sashimi or grilled at the on-site preparation areas. That direct link between catching and eating is central to the festival’s appeal.

Festival Program

Sancheoneo Experience

• Ice fishing (on-site/reservation)
• Bare-handed catching
• Lure fishing

Snow/Ice Experience

• Snow sledding
• Ice sledding
• “Sky-cutting” (zipline)
• Ice Bear Castle slide
• Ice soccer
• Curling
• Figure skating
• Ice bubble suits

Culture/Events

• Festival opening plaza
• Hwacheon Luck-of-the-Draw event
• Ice Country Broadcasting Station
• Hoguk-i Experience Zone
• Hwacheon Tourism Promotion Hall

Convenience/Safety

• General Information Center
• Fishing guides
• Warming/infant shelters
• Mobility assistants
• Medical center
• Disaster rescue team
• Hwacheon Fire Station

Food/Shopping

• Sancheoneo restaurants
• Sancheoneo sashimi center/grill area
• Local snack market
• Agricultural and specialty product stores
• Souvenir shops

These categories include additional offerings beyond the items listed, and the festival updates its program as the event approaches. First-time visitors can rely on the information center and fishing guides, while families have access to warming and infant shelters as well as mobility assistants. The on-site safety presence includes a medical center, disaster rescue team, and Hwacheon Fire Station.

Linked Events and Tourist Attractions

The festival connects to a wider set of destinations in Hwacheon. Linked events and attractions include the Seondeung Street Festival, the world’s largest indoor ice sculpture plaza, Hwacheon Sancheoneo Park Golf Course, Santa Post Office Korea Main Branch, and Baegamsan Cable Car. These options make it easy to extend a festival visit into a broader winter itinerary.

Event Information

📍 Address: 137 Sancheoneo-gil, Hwacheon-eup, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Paid (Refer to the website for details.)

📞 Inquiry: 1688-3005

⭐️ Instagram: instagram.com/eolgomi

🖥️ Website: www.narafestival.com

Hwacheon is best known for the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival, held every winter on the frozen Hwacheoncheon Stream in Gangwon-do. For several weeks starting each January, the ice becomes a fishing ground. Visitors cut holes, drop lines into the cold water below, and try to catch Sancheoneo, the native mountain trout found in the stream. Alongside regular ice fishing, the festival includes a bare-handed catching event, in which participants wade into the water and attempt to grab the fish directly.

The rest of the program follows the conventions of a Korean winter festival: ice sledding, snow sculpture displays, and food stalls selling freshly caught trout, often grilled on the spot. The event brings most of the county’s winter visitors and has made Hwacheon a regular stop in the winter tourism season.

Outside of January, Hwacheon is a largely rural county whose appeal is its reservoirs, mountains, and relatively quiet landscape. Tourism is centered on fishing, kayaking, walking, and seasonal scenery. But the trout festival remains the main reason most people know the town, and it is what gives Hwacheon its reputation as a winter destination.

Jinan Highland Kimchi Bossam Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.14 ~ 2026.11.15

The Jinan Highland Kimchi Bossam Festival is a regional festival held in Jinan-gun, Jeonbuk State. It was created to spread a community culture in which families and neighbors come together, combining the festival with kimjang—Korea’s unique traditional culture of making and sharing kimchi. As nuclear families and single-person households reshape the country’s dietary environment, the festival seeks to reflect on the traditional value of kimjang culture and share affection between neighbors through the process of making and sharing kimchi together.

What sets this festival apart from other kimchi events is its pairing of kimjang with bossam, the classic Korean dish of boiled pork wrapped in cabbage or lettuce leaves. The program includes kimjang experiences that use local agricultural products grown in the clean natural environment of the Jinan Highland, along with kimchi and bossam food programs. By placing local specialties at the center of the experience, the festival also promotes the excellence of local agricultural products and stimulates their consumption. It is a festival where the succession of traditional kimjang culture and the value of local agricultural products are experienced together.

The two-day lineup mixes contests, concerts, food, and hands-on activities:

• Opening Ceremony
• Stage Events
• Exciting Art Bus
• Kimjang Golden Bell — a quiz-style contest on all things kimjang
• SHOW ME THE Kimjang — a kimjang competition with a name inspired by the hip-hop audition show “Show Me The Money”
• Autumn Music Concert
• Red Ginseng Cocktail Event — a cocktail experience featuring red ginseng from the region
• Trot Concert
• Band Concert
• Permanent Operation: Kimchi Village Pop-up Zone, Flea Market, Plateau Grill Zone, Food Booths
• Make Your Own Home Kimjang Experience: 3 sessions per day
  • Experience Fee: 185,000 KRW (1 set: 20kg salted cabbage + 10kg seasoning)
  • Recruitment Period: Until closed on a first-come, first-served basis

📍 Address: 1166 Jinmu-ro, Jinan-eup, Jinan-gun, Jeonbuk State

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Free (Some experience programs have a fee – Make Your Own Home Kimjang Experience)

📞 Inquiry: 063-433-6613

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jinan_gun

🖥️ Homepage: www.jinankimchi.kr

Kimchi bossam

Kimchi bossam is a Korean dish made with boiled pork belly and aged kimchi, served with leaves for wrapping. The word bossam means “wrapped” or “bundled,” and the dish is assembled at the table: a leaf of lettuce, perilla, or blanched cabbage is topped with a thick slice of pork, a spoonful of kimchi, and usually some ssamjang, a sauce made from fermented soybean paste and chili paste. Sliced garlic, pickled radish, and raw onion are common additions.

The pork is cooked slowly until tender, often simmered with scallions, garlic, onion, and ginger. It is then rested and sliced into pieces thick enough to hold up in a wrap. The broth left from boiling can be used for a simple soup or discarded.

The kimchi used is typically mugeunji, meaning kimchi that has been fermented for weeks or months. By that point it is noticeably sour, with a softer texture and a deeper flavor than the fresher kimchi served as a side dish. That acidity matters: it balances the fatty pork, while the leaves and crunchy add-ins keep the mouthful from becoming too heavy.

There is no single correct way to assemble a wrap. The order and proportions are up to the person eating it, and most people adjust as they go. What stays consistent is the pairing of rich, mild pork with sharp, fermented kimchi—a combination that works because each part does a specific job on the palate, not because it is exotic or complicated.

Sienna Spiro’s First Concert in Korea: My House Tour in Seoul

Sienna Spiro brings her My House Tour to Seoul for a single evening this January, marking the artist’s inaugural performance in the Korean market. The concert at Myeonghwa Live Hall offers a contained venue experience that corresponds with the tour’s residential naming convention, suggesting a performance scale prioritizing audience proximity over arena production logistics.

Event Information

The performance takes place on January 7, 2027, with logistical details designed to accommodate both local attendees and international visitors planning dedicated concert travel.

• 🗓️ Date: 2027-01-07 ~ 2027-01-07
• 📍 Venue: Myeonghwa Live Hall
• 🛏️ Accommodation near the concert
• 💡 Lightstick
• Address: Myeonghwa Live Hall, 30 Beodnaru-ro (Yeongdeungpo-dong 2-ga), Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul
• Age Limit: All ages admitted

Myeonghwa Live Hall occupies a commercial district address in Yeongdeungpo-dong, an area with established transit infrastructure and pre-event dining options. The “all ages” admission policy distinguishes this event from many international concerts that enforce 12+ or 18+ restrictions, removing barriers for younger attendees or family groups. For travelers requiring overnight accommodation, the Expedia link provides booking options near the Yeongdeungpo performance district—a practical necessity given the single-night scheduling and 8:00 PM start time.

Schedule

Performance Date and Time: Thursday, January 7, 2027, at 8:00 PM

The Thursday evening timing positions the event within standard post-work leisure hours, accommodating attendees with standard weekday professional obligations while concluding sufficiently early for public transit connections. Yeongdeungpo’s density of bus and subway lines supports post-performance departure logistics.

Ticket Prices

• Standing Seat (General): 110,000 KRW
• Reserved Seat (General): 110,000 KRW

Both pricing tiers cost an identical 110,000 KRW, eliminating the typical cost differential between general admission standing and reserved seating. This structure allows attendees to select their preferred experience—whether the immersive physicality of the floor section or the guaranteed sightlines of reserved seats—based on viewing preference rather than budget constraints. The pricing parity is unusual for international pop concerts in Seoul, where standing sections typically command premium rates or vice versa.

The Coupang link connects to official tour lightsticks, which have become standard equipment at contemporary pop concerts; these illuminated devices synchronize with venue lighting systems to create unified audience visual effects during specific performance segments.

Festival

이 포스팅은 쿠팡 파트너스 활동의 일환으로, 이에 따른 일정액의 수수료를 제공받습니다.

Seoul Lantern Festival

🗓️ 2026.12.11 ~ 2027.01.31

The Seoul Lantern Festival began in 2009 and is now in its 18th iteration. It is one of Seoul’s representative night light festivals, drawing an average of 3.4 million visitors over the last three years. The 2026 festival will take place in the Cheonggyecheon area (Cheonggye Plaza ~ Samilgyo Bridge) under the theme “Seoul’s Romance: Symphony of Light.”

The exhibition area is divided into four sections: ▲Section 1 “Hanyang Overture,” ▲Section 2 “Analog Rhapsody,” ▲Section 3 “Neon Sonata,” and ▲Section 4 “Fantasia of Light,” with differentiated productions on display in each. The event offers exhibitions of various light sculptures, including traditional Hanji lanterns and media art, along with experience and event programs.

The festival runs from Friday, December 11, 2026, to Sunday, January 31, 2027. Viewing hours are 18:00 to 23:00 daily, and admission is free.

📍 Address: Taepyeong-ro 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 02-3788-8168

⭐️ Instagram: instagram.com/seoullanternfestival

🖥️ Homepage: stolantern.com

Cheonggyecheon is a 10.9-kilometer urban stream in Seoul. It runs west to east from Cheonggye Plaza near City Hall to the Han River. The waterway is largely reconstructed: the original stream had become polluted in the postwar period and was covered by an elevated highway in the late 20th century. In 2005 the city removed the highway and restored the stream as part of a larger renewal project.

The stream now serves several functions: recreation, stormwater management, and a habitat corridor. Its banks are lined with stone, and footbridges and walkways run along much of its length.

During the Seoul Lantern Festival, the stream is used as an exhibition venue. Illuminated lanterns are placed on the water and along the banks. The site is a few minutes’ walk from downtown subway stations, and its narrow, straight layout lets visitors follow the displays in a continuous sequence. That layout is the main difference between this festival and those held in open plazas or parks.

Yeongju Apple Festival

The 2026 Yeongju Apple Festival is an autumn celebration built around the highest quality apples grown in the clear natural environment of Yeongju. Known for their high sugar content and crisp texture—the result of the region’s large daily temperature range and abundant sunshine—Yeongju apples take center stage in a program that engages all five senses.

This year’s festival runs in two places at once: the production site around Miro Park in Buseok-myeon from October 30 to November 1, and Cheonggye Plaza in downtown Seoul from November 13 to 15. Whether you’re near the orchards or in the heart of the city, you’ll find apple sales, tasting events, variety exhibitions, cultural performances, and hands-on activities.

At the festival site, visitors can sample and purchase apples directly at the Apple Farm Market Zone, see the range of cultivars at the Apple House exhibition, and take part in experience programs. The Yeongju setting also pairs the harvest with autumn scenery, including nearby Buseoksa Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Seoul edition delivers the same apple-focused program in an urban setting, combining direct-from-production freshness with entertainment for visitors of all ages.

What to do at the festival

Sales and Tasting Events

• Apple Farm Market Zone: Yeongju apple sales and tasting

Operation of Yeongju Apple Promotion Hall

• Apple House: Yeongju apple variety exhibition, professional promoter operation

Experience Programs

• Making keycaps
• Making apple balloons
• Hanbok experience
• Life Four Cuts

Recreation

• Rolling apple game

Event Details

🗓️ 2026.11.13 ~ 2026.11.15 (Seoul venue; the Yeongju production-site event runs October 30–November 1)

📍 Address: 1 Taepyeong-ro 1-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Free (Some experience programs are paid)

📞 Inquiry: 054-630-8706

⭐️ Instagram

🖥️ Homepage

What is Yeongju famous for?

Yeongju is known primarily for its apples. The orchards sit at the foot of the Sobaek Mountains, where cold nights and sunny days create a wide temperature range. That variation is one reason the apples develop firm flesh and a high sugar content. Local growers have cultivated the fruit for generations, and Yeongju apples are a recognized part of North Gyeongsang Province’s agricultural output. The festival you will visit is centered on this crop, and tasting an apple at a local orchard is a straightforward way to understand its reputation.

The city also has a significant place in Korean Confucian history. Sosu Seowon, the oldest private Confucian academy in the country, was founded during the Joseon dynasty and still stands as an example of late Joseon educational architecture. Nearby historical neighborhoods, hanok villages, and Buseoksa temple—which contains some of the oldest wooden buildings in Korea—show the same tradition of scholarship and religious practice.

In food, Yeongju is known for local versions of makguksu, or buckwheat noodles, and grilled sundae, a Korean blood sausage. Both are common in the local market and are more likely to be the everyday fare of the area than the apples that draw visitors during festival season. Together, the fruit, the historical sites, and the regional dishes give the city a specific character within North Gyeongsang Province.

Village Festa

Burak Festa is a retro-themed festival held in the autonomous commercial district area of Pusan National University. It reinterprets the music, fashion, and alley culture of the 1990s to the 2000s with a modern sensibility, while aiming to revitalize the Pusan National University autonomous commercial district and attract local visitors to the neighborhood. The festival runs for three days, from November 6 to November 8, 2026, and includes performance programs such as the Burak Song Festival, dance battles, special performances, and DJ booths. Beyond the stage, it offers participatory programs like the Alley Boss Selection Contest, Play Workshop, and Alley Boss Fashion Star, along with the Burak Stationery Store, Burak Yajang (outdoor market), and food booths linked to the local commercial district.

What sets Burak Festa apart from a conventional music festival is the way it embeds the festival experience in the surrounding streets. Visitors are not just watching performances; they can take part in contests, workshops, fashion-focused activities, and search-style events while moving through a commercial district that remains part of the festival itself. The result is a cultural event where memories and romance of the past are shared through music, dance, fashion, play, and food, and where the local commercial district and festival visitors are brought together in the same spaces.

Main Programs

• Burak Song Festival
• Burak Dance Battle
• Burak Rewind Special Performance
• Alley Boss Selection Contest
• Burak Yajang (outdoor market)

Side Programs

• Alley Boss Play Workshop
• Alley Boss Fashion Star
• Local Commercial District Linked F&B Booths
• The DJ Booth of That Time

Consumer Participation Programs

• Burak Stationery Store
• Purchase Receipt Event
• Sticker Search Event

🗓️ 2026.11.06 ~ 2026.11.08

📍 Address: 55 Jangjeon-ro 12beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan (Jangjeon-dong)

🛏️ Accommodations Near the Event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 051-714-1469

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bnuas2026/

What is Burak Festa?

Burak Festa is a 1990s-themed street festival held on the grounds of Pusan National University in Busan. The name draws on the Korean word burak, meaning a close-knit neighborhood or familiar corner of a town, and combines it with festa, the Italian word for celebration. The festival uses that idea as a starting point: for a few days, the campus’s main walkways and open plazas are given over to a detailed re-creation of late-20th-century Korean street and youth culture.

The festival’s attractions are scattered across the university, and most of them are participatory. Vendors set up stalls selling vintage clothing—windbreakers, wide-leg jeans, oversized sweaters, chunky sneakers—and tables of old physical albums for visitors to flip through. Bulky CRT monitors play 90s music videos in clusters around the plazas. Arcade cabinets and noraebang-style karaoke tents provide the kind of entertainment that was part of everyday life for young people at the time. Students and local vendors dress in period styles, and the food stalls offer Korean street classics: tteokbokki in sweet-savory sauce, twigim fried in oil, and fish cakes served in warm broth.

Music forms the main program. The central stage features live tributes to 90s Korean pop, hip-hop, and R&B, while smaller stages host acoustic sets of slow jams and dance tracks. Between performances, attendees can browse the stalls, play arcade games, or explore the set pieces, including a diorama of an old Busan bus stop.

For those who grew up in the 1990s, Burak Festa is a chance to revisit familiar details; for younger visitors, it works as a straightforward introduction to that period. The festival does not try to argue that the decade was better or simpler, and it does not need to. It simply puts together a coherent, walkable version of 90s Korean popular culture and lets the specifics carry the event.

Goseong Scallop Seafood Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.06 ~ 2026.11.08

The 9th Goseong Scallop Seafood Festival returns to Goseong-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do, as the region’s signature celebration of the scallop—a local delicacy and a cornerstone of the area’s fishing economy. Scheduled to run for three days from November 6 to 8, 2026, the festival will be held at Soccer Field 4 of the Goseong-gun Sports Park, offering visitors a chance to taste, purchase, and learn about the seafood that defines this coastal county.

As a representative regional festival, the event is designed to do more than entertain. Its primary goals are to elevate the brand value of Goseong scallops, encourage consumption of locally sourced seafood, and support direct transactions between producers and consumers. By connecting the festival with nearby commercial districts, organizers also aim to generate tangible economic benefits for the local community—an effort that positions the festival as both a cultural occasion and a driver of regional revitalization.

What Visitors Can Expect

The festival program is organized into four main categories, ensuring there is something for everyone:

1. Main Programs

• Opening ceremony and opening performance—a formal start that sets the tone for the festivities.
• Celebration performances—featuring invited singers and cultural acts.

2. Side Programs

• Scallop and seafood direct transaction market—where visitors can purchase fresh local seafood directly from sellers.
• Food sales and tasting—an opportunity to sample scallops and other regional specialties prepared on-site.
• Seafood-related experience programs—hands-on activities themed around scallops.

3. Consumer Participation Programs

• Participatory event programs—including quiz events and other interactive activities that allow visitors to engage directly with the festival’s themes.

4. Other Contents

• Promotion of local seafood—informational displays and materials highlighting Goseong’s marine products.
• Cultural and artistic performances—programming selected to appeal across generations.
• Participant programs for family visitors—experiences designed for parents and children to enjoy together.

Notably, the festival places a strong emphasis on inclusivity. By curating performances that reflect the musical tastes of different age groups and offering experience programs tailored to families, organizers hope to create an atmosphere where attendees of any age or gender feel welcome.

A Festival with Purpose

Beyond the immediate appeal of fresh seafood and live entertainment, the Goseong Scallop Seafood Festival carries a broader mission. It aims to position Goseong as a destination for regional cuisine and culture, giving visitors a memorable combination of taste and enjoyment while fostering long-term recognition for the area’s marine resources. For those planning a trip to the southern coast in early November, the festival offers a straightforward and affordable way to experience the best of what Goseong has to offer.

Visitor Information

📍 Address: 402 Gyosa-ri, Goseong-eup, Goseong-gun, Gyeongnam

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 055-673-4162

Goseong is a county on the southern coast of Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea. Its coastline is a mix of rocky headlands, tidal flats, and small beaches, with low hills running behind the shore. The population is spread among several small towns and farming and fishing villages rather than concentrated in a single city.

Fishing and aquaculture are a major part of the local economy. The county is known for shellfish, especially scallops, and the nearby coastal waters also support oysters, abalone, and kelp farms. These are sold in local markets and served in restaurants along the coast.

Goseong is also one of the more notable places in South Korea for dinosaur fossils. Dinosaur tracks have been found in the sedimentary rock at Sangjogam and nearby sites, and the area has been protected as Natural Monument No. 411. The Goseong Dinosaur Museum displays specimens from these sites and explains the geological conditions under which the tracks were preserved.

For travellers, the county offers a straightforward mix of coastal walks, seafood, and geology. It is not a resort destination, but it has enough local character to make a short visit worthwhile.

Pyeongchang Trout Festival

🗓️ 2027.01.01 ~ 2027.01.31

*The following festival details are from the 2026 festival; details for the 2027 festival are currently being updated*

The Pyeongchang Trout Festival is an annual winter celebration that transforms the hardships of ancestral survival into a curated cultural experience. In previous eras, winter in this region was characterized by snowfall so intense that residents were forced to tie ropes between neighboring houses, carving snow tunnels along those lines simply to maintain mobility. When the frigid river winds caused the shallow rapids to freeze prematurely, ancestors would strike large rocks in the river with hammers—a grueling method used to hunt winter fish for a single meal. This historical struggle is the foundation of the modern event, which takes place from late December to late January under the theme of “A Winter Story with Snow, Ice, and Trout.”

Visitors to the festival can observe fish swimming in the Odaecheon stream through the clear ice, providing a visual prelude to the thrill of the catch. The event distinguishes itself through a diverse array of winter activities that cater to different skill levels and ages, ranging from the patience required for ice fishing to the high energy of bare-hand catching.

Activities and Experiences

The festival offers several ways to engage with the frozen landscape:

• Fishing Experiences: Guests may choose between ice fishing, tent fishing, and a dedicated children’s fishing area. For those seeking a more visceral challenge, the golden trout bare-hand catching event provides a unique opportunity to pursue fish without the aid of equipment.
• Ice Square Activities: Beyond fishing, the Ice Square hosts a variety of winter sports and rides, including snow sledding, snow rafting, ice bicycles, skating, and the Argo ride experience.

Pricing and Usage Fees

Fees are structured based on the type of activity and the age of the participant. The following rates were applicable during the 2026 event:

Activity	Adult Rate	Elementary Student Rate
Tent Fishing (Comprehensive Ticket)	49,000 KRW	43,000 KRW
Tent Fishing (Standard)	39,000 KRW	30,000 KRW
Ice Fishing (Comprehensive Ticket)	43,000 KRW	35,000 KRW
Ice Fishing (Standard)	25,000 KRW	20,000 KRW

Additional Fees:

• Indoor Fishing: 20,000 KRW
• Bare-hand Catching: 20,000 KRW
• Amusement Facilities (Comprehensive Ticket): 30,000 KRW
• Mountain Trout: 20,000 KRW

Visitor Information

📍 Address: 3562 Gyeonggang-ro, Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do

🛏️ Accommodation near the event

💰 Fee: Paid

📞 Inquiry: 033-336-4000

🖥️ Website: www.festival700.or.kr

What is ice fishing?

Ice fishing is a method of angling practiced on frozen lakes and rivers. The fisherman cuts a hole through the ice, drops a baited line into the water below, and waits for a fish to bite. In northern regions where lakes freeze solid for months, it has long been a practical way of catching food through the winter. In recent decades it has also become a recreational activity, often organized into festivals and public events designed for beginners.

At the Pyeongchang Trout Festival, ice fishing is adapted into a managed, family-friendly outing. A designated area of the frozen water is checked and maintained for safety, then divided into fishing spots. Visitors receive a simple rod, line, and lure, and are shown to a hole in the ice. The process is straightforward: lower the line, watch the float, and wait. When the float dips, a quick and steady pull usually brings up a mountain trout. Staff nearby can clean and grill the catch, or visitors can take it to one of the food tents serving trout stew and other hot meals.

The festival’s fishing ponds are stocked, so catching a fish does not depend on experience or refined technique. Many first-time anglers get a bite within minutes. This changes the character of the activity: it is less a test of patience than a social event on the ice. People stand together, talk, and react to the small movements of their rods. The surrounding festival adds food, games, and mountain views, which gives non-anglers reasons to join as well.

Ice fishing here is neither a survival skill nor a serious competition. It is a seasonal form of entertainment, built around a traditional winter practice and made accessible through organization and equipment. Its appeal is straightforward: it gives visitors a way to spend time outdoors in winter, with a good chance of catching something.

Gumi Ramen Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.06 ~ 2026.11.08

The Gumi Ramyeon Festival is a representative regional festival that connects Gumi’s industry, food culture, and local tourism through ramyeon. Gumi is the city where Nongshim—a representative domestic ramyeon company—operates its Gumi plant, and the festival builds on that industrial foundation to turn ramyeon into local tourism content. The 2026 edition runs from November 6 to 8, and entry is free.

What makes the festival stand out is its use of the city itself. The event takes place in the original downtown area, including Gumi Station, Yeokjeon-ro, Munhwa-ro, Geumridan-gil, and Saemaul Central Market. Instead of a single dedicated venue, the entire city center becomes the festival space. Local restaurants and commercial districts take part, linking the festival grounds to the old downtown and supporting the local economy in the process.

For visitors, the program list is built around ramyeon in many forms. Ramyeon Restaurant serves ramyeon dishes from different regions across the country. Freshly Fried Ramyeon is the festival’s signature food program, utilizing freshly fried noodles. God-Land operates experiences and content related to ramyeon, and the Global Ramyeon Challenge invites domestic and international participants to join a participatory ramyeon-related program. Robot Chef is also among the main programs, and the Hururuk Lounge provides a space to relax with ramyeon while enjoying performances and content.

Main Programs

• Ramyeon Restaurant: A food program showcasing various ramyeon dishes from different regions across the country.
• Freshly Fried Ramyeon: A representative food program of the Gumi Ramyeon Festival, utilizing freshly fried noodles.
• God-Land: Operation of experiences and content related to ramyeon.
• Global Ramyeon Challenge: A participatory ramyeon-related program involving domestic and international participants.
• Robot Chef: A main program operated at the festival.

Side Programs

• Hururuk Lounge: A space to relax with ramyeon and enjoy performances and content.
• Programs linked with local restaurants and commercial districts.
• Operation of festival spaces and street content throughout the original downtown area.

Consumer Participation Programs

• Making My Own Ramyeon
• Soup Lab

Other Details

• Participation of local restaurants.
• Linkage with original downtown areas such as Gumi Station, Yeokjeon-ro, Munhwa-ro, Geumridan-gil, and Saemaul Central Market.
• Promotion and marketing linking the festival site and original downtown commercial districts.

The 2026 Gumi Ramyeon Festival showcases Gumi as an urban tourism destination by connecting regional industry, tourism, food culture, and commercial districts through ramyeon. With the entire original downtown as its stage, it turns a familiar food into a reason to explore the city.

📍 Address: Yeokjeon-ro, Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 054-480-2651~3

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gumi_ramyun/

🖥️ Homepage: https://www.gumiramyun.com/

What is Gumi known for?

Gumi is known primarily as a manufacturing center for South Korea’s electronics and information technology industries. It has been called the country’s “digital industrial capital,” and since the 1970s it has hosted large production facilities for Samsung and LG Electronics. The Gumi National Industrial Complex, established in the late 1960s as part of government-led industrialization, runs along the Nakdong River. It produces semiconductors, mobile phones, displays, and automotive components for domestic and international markets. The complex remains central to the local economy and to South Korea’s electronics supply chain.

Gumi also has a non-industrial side. Geumosan Mountain rises behind the city, with forested trails and remnants of fortress walls for hikers. Older cultural sites include Dongsusa Temple and the Buddhist stone carvings at Seonsan. The area has connections to Korean scholars and military figures, and local museums and monuments document that history. The Nakdong River runs through the city, and its banks are used for parks and walking paths.

The Gumi Ramyeon Festival, held annually, focuses on another part of the city’s identity. It brings together noodle vendors, cooking demonstrations, and tasting events, and it draws visitors from nearby cities. Gumi’s attractions are both industrial and cultural: it is a city where electronics manufacturing operates alongside mountain hiking, historical sites, and local food.

Jeju Pet Culture Industry Festival

🗓️ 2026.11.06 ~ 2026.11.08

The 2026 Jeju Companion Animal Culture Industry Festival brings together two established events—the Jeju Companion Animal Culture Festival and the Jeju Pet Fair—in a single program. Its stated goal is a happy Jeju where humans and animals coexist, built through the establishment of a proper companion animal culture. The program ranges from petiquette education and campaigns to promote a mature companion animal culture to a variety of companion animal-related experience activities, with something for both pet owners and the general public.

The Jeju Pet Fair portion of the event is significant in its own right. Approximately 70 companion animal industry companies will participate, showcasing pet food, pet supplies, and pet services, alongside a series of events held across the fair.

Festival program

Lectures are scheduled across the three festival days:

• November 6: Lecture by Professor Yoon Young-min
• November 7: Lecture by Veterinarian Yoon Hong-jun
• November 8: Lecture by Trainer Kang Hyung-wook

Other activities and experiences include:

• Space-out competition with companion animals
• Sharing event with abandoned dogs
• Maze Great Escape
• Agility
• Life Four Cuts
• Learning self-grooming
• Caricature
• Jeju National University Arota experience program
• Color Walk
• Jeju Pet Fair

Event details

📍 Address: 24 Seogwang-ro 2-gil, Jeju-si, Jeju-do (Ora-il-dong)

🛏️ Accommodations near the event

💰 Fee: Free

📞 Inquiry: 064-711-1002

⭐️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jejupetfestival/

The pet culture industry covers the goods and services that have developed around pet ownership. It includes food, veterinary care, grooming, behavioral training, wearable devices, pet-friendly travel, photography, and pet-related media and events. What distinguishes this sector from the older pet supply market is the underlying assumption that pets should have their own routines, comforts, and forms of enrichment.

The category also includes trade shows, fairs, and festivals where owners can sample products, attend lectures, and take part in activities with their animals. These events combine commercial and non-commercial functions: vendors sell goods, experts offer advice, and owners exchange experiences. The industry as a whole operates at the intersection of retail, services, and leisure, with the stated goal of improving the lives of pets and the people who care for them.