The following are major cultural and tourist festivals scheduled to be held in South Korea in October.
* Imsil N Cheese Festival
When: Oct. 6-9
Where: Imsil Cheese Theme Park, Imsil Cheese Village, North Jeolla Province
Imsil N Cheese Festival is an experience-oriented tourist festival aimed at promoting Imsil’s special cheese products.
The southern county of Imsil has been producing cheese as a local specialty, and the festival capitalizes on it to galvanize the local economy and attract tourists from outside of the county.
For more information, visit (www.imsilfestival.com).
This image is captured from the website of the Imsil N Cheese Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This image is captured from the website of the Imsil N Cheese Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
* Geumsan Insam (Ginseng) Festival
When: Oct. 6-15
Where: Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province
Geumsan is famous for its high-quality ginseng. The Insam Festival, held every September since 1981, is a traditional cultural
event in which villagers pray for a good harvest the following year. Programs include ginseng harvesting, performances of traditional arts and rituals, concerts, an international ginseng trade fair, a ginseng cooking competition and more.
For more information, visit (www.insamfestival.co.kr).
This image is captured from the website of the Geumsan Insam (Ginseng) Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This image is captured from the website of the Geumsan Insam (Ginseng) Festival. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
* Andong International Mask Dance Festival
When: Oct. 2-9
Where: Andong, North Gyeongsang Province
The Andong International Mask Dance Festival began in 1997 to celebrate the Hahoe Mask Dance Drama, a traditional Korean dance and drama performance in which common people satirized the “yangban” ruling class of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), behind wooden masks, as direct criticism of the yangban was strictly forbidden.
Since then, it has become one of the most prominent cultural festivals in Kor
ea, attracting visitors from around the world.
The festival features Korea’s traditional and modern mask dance dramas and mask dance performances from foreign countries as well as various other cultural performances. It also offers a drone show, a parade and various hands-on programs to learn more about the traditional masks and the mask dance drama.
For more information, visit the website at (www.maskdance.com).
This photo is captured from the website of the Korea Tourism Organization. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This photo is captured from the website of the Korea Tourism Organization. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
* Yangyang Pine Mushroom and Salmon Festival
When: Oct. 4-8
Where: Namdaecheon Stream Event area, Yangyang, Gangwon Province
Yangyang County unified its annual festivals into one this year, celebrating two of its specialties — pine mushrooms and salmon. Visitors can see salmon in their powerful, vigorous display of life as they return to their native Namdae Stream during the festival,
which is timed for the harvesting season for songi mushrooms.
Visitors may also tour the natural habitat of these luxurious and precious mushrooms, pick them and sample dishes made with them, with the habitat otherwise strictly prohibited from public access.
For more information, visit the website at (http://yyfestival.com).
This image is a poster for the Yangyang Pine Mushroom and Salmon Festival captured from the festival’s homepage. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
This image is a poster for the Yangyang Pine Mushroom and Salmon Festival captured from the festival’s homepage. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
* Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival
When: Oct. 7-9
Where: Hwaseong Haenggung, Yeonmudae and other places in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province
Celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, the Suwon Hwaseong Cultural Festival is one of the largest culture and tourism festivals in Korea. Hwaseong Fortress in Suwon, situated about 30 kilometers south of Seoul, is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, and commemora
tes the filial affection and innovations of King Jeongjo, the 22nd monarch of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), who built the fortress. Over the years, the Hwaseong Cultural Festival has become established as a quintessential regional cultural festival that promotes the traditional culture and arts of Suwon. Events will include reenactments of King Jeongjo’s parade to the royal tomb and a people’s parade, a liquor-serving ceremony for royal ancestors and a reenactment of Queen Hyegyeonggung Hong’s 60th birthday feast. For more information, visit the website (shcf.kr).
Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO cultural heritage site in Suwon, about 30 kilometers south of Seoul, is illuminated with a variety of colors on Sept. 21, 2022, in a rehearsal for one of several festivals involving the fortress. (Yonhap)
Hwaseong Fortress, a UNESCO cultural heritage site in Suwon, about 30 kilometers south of Seoul, is illuminated with a variety of colors on Sept. 21, 2022, in a rehearsal for one of several festivals involving the fo
rtress. (Yonhap)
* Icheon Rice Cultural Festival
When: Oct. 18-22
Where: Seolbong Park, Icheon, Gyeonggi Province
For thousands of years, rice has been the key staple grain for Korean people, and Icheon, a town south of Seoul, is famous for its high-quality rice that was served to the kings and queens of Korea. Programs will include a reenactment of the parade that transported rice to Hanseong (the old name for Seoul) to present to the king, a huge rice cauldron that is capable of feeding thousands of people and a straw crafting contest. Various performances of traditional music, dance and folk plays will entertain visitors, who will also have the chance to buy this year’s crop of Icheon rice and experience traditional agricultural in the farm town.
For more information, log onto the website (www.ricefestival.or.kr).
 
Source: Yonhap News Agency