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Chunhyang Festival

춘향제 · Namwon, North Jeolla

2026/05/06 Past

This edition has finished. Korean festivals usually keep to roughly the same window each year, so the next one should land near those dates — but the organizer publishes the confirmed dates and they move, sometimes by weeks.
Last verified: 2026-08-22.

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A festival around the Chunhyang story, in Namwon where the tale is set.

Who it suits: Anyone curious about pansori and Korean classical storytelling — this is built around the country's best-known love story, in the town it is set in.

When, where, how much

From the organizer

Official site

Organized by Namwon-si. These pages are the organizer's own and open on their site. They are usually Korean only — but that is where the confirmed programme, stage times and site map appear first, and times and prices read the same in any language.

Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · visitkorea.or.kr · KOGL Type 3

Where it is

243 km south of Seoul, in Namwon, North Jeolla (straight-line distance from Seoul City Hall, calculated from the venue's official coordinates).

We have not timed these connections ourselves, so rather than print a number we have not checked, here is the route on the two apps Koreans actually use — Area of Gwanghalluwon Garden as the destination, already filled in:

• Directions on Kakao Map — live bus and train times, and which platform
• Naver Map — the stronger of the two in English

From Seoul, journeys to Namwon start at Seoul Station (KTX and regular rail) or the Express Bus Terminal. Which of the two wins depends on how many cities you are stringing together — our rail pass guide works through the break-even, and getting around Korea covers why these two apps beat Google Maps once you are on the ground.

Nearby, if you are making a trip of it

Within about 20 km of the venue, by distance:

• Namwon AirRail (0.6 km)
• Namwon Traditional Lacquer Craft Center (2.1 km)
• Maewoldang (11.4 km)
• Jirisan Cheese Land (14.4 km)
• Seomjingang Train Village (15.4 km)
• Gokseong Leisure Culture Center (15.6 km)

Places and distances from the Korea Tourism Organization's location data. We have not visited all of them.

Getting there and staying

For a bed near the festival, Klook's accommodation search for Namwon is the quickest way to see what is left — festival weeks fill local rooms earlier than you would expect.

Outside the big cities, wifi is not something to plan around. Shuttle stops, stage times and the day's program are posted on the organizer's Korean-language page or a Naver Map pin, and they change on the day. A Korean eSIM is the cheapest way to have it working before you land.

Planning a trip around it

On at the same time

If your dates are fixed, these run within ten days of Chunhyang Festival and are worth checking before you commit to a route.

• Yeoju Ceramic Festival — 2026/03/19 – 05/01, Yeoju, Gyeonggi, 67 km from Seoul.
• Icheon Ceramics Festival — 2026/04/24 – 05/05, Icheon, Gyeonggi, 47 km from Seoul.
• Hampyeong Butterfly Festival — 2026/04/24 – 05/05, Hampyeong, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 282 km from Seoul.
• Boseong Green Tea Festival — 2026/05/01 – 05/05, Boseong, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 317 km from Seoul.
• Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival — 2026/05/01 – 05/05, Hadong, South Gyeongsang, 267 km from Seoul.
• Mungyeong Chasabal Festival — 2026/05/01 – 05/10, Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang, 132 km from Seoul.

Other festivals in North Jeolla

Same province, different times of year — useful if you are choosing when to visit North Jeolla rather than when to leave home.

• Muju Firefly Festival — September, Muju, North Jeolla
• Jinan Red Ginseng Festival — September, Jinan, North Jeolla
• Gimje Horizon Festival — October, Gimje, North Jeolla
• Jeonju Hanji Culture Festival — October, Jeonju, North Jeolla
• Jeonju Bibimbap Festival — October, Jeonju, North Jeolla

See the full calendar →