Imsil N Cheese Festival
임실N치즈축제 · Imsil, Jeonbuk
– Confirmed dates
Festival dates move every year — confirm on the organizer's own site before booking.
Last verified: 2026-08-22.
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Built around the actual birthplace of Korean cheesemaking — a Belgian priest, Didier t'Serstevens, started with two goats here in 1967 and taught local farmers to make cheese from scratch.
Who it suits: Cheese lovers, and anyone curious how a small Jeolla county became Korea's cheese-making origin point.
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 217 km south of Seoul
About 146 km across — 13 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
217 km south of Seoul, in Imsil, Jeonbuk (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 — the venue 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 Imsil 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.
Getting there and staying
For a bed near the festival, Klook's accommodation search for Imsil 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 Imsil N Cheese Festival and are worth checking before you commit to a route.
- Moonlight Tour at Changdeokgung Palace — 2026/09/10 – 10/17, Seoul, 2 km from Seoul.
- Andong Maskdance Festival — 2026/09/24 – 10/04, Andong, North Gyeongsang, 192 km from Seoul.
- Gimje Horizon Festival — 2026/10/01 – 10/05, Gimje, North Jeolla, 202 km from Seoul.
- Jeongseon Arirang Festival — 2026/10/01 – 10/04, Jeongseon, Gangwon, 150 km from Seoul.
- Geumsan World Insam Festival — 2026/10/02 – 10/11, Geumsan, South Chungcheong, 170 km from Seoul.
- Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival — 2026/10/03 – 10/18, Jinju, South Gyeongsang, 282 km from Seoul.
Other festivals in Jeonbuk
Same province, different times of year — useful if you are choosing when to visit Jeonbuk rather than when to leave home.
- Jangsu Red Food Festival — September, Jangsu, Jeonbuk
- Sunchang Jangryu Festival — October, Sunchang, Jeonbuk
Other museums within reach
- Jeonju National Museum — Jeonju, North Jeolla, about 27 km away.
- Iksan National Museum — Iksan, North Jeolla, about 49 km away.
A mountain in the same trip
Korea's national parks charge nothing to enter, and these are close enough to pair with the rest of this trip rather than needing one of their own.
- Jirisan Hiking — about 50 km away.
The coast from here
- Getting In the Mud — Hajeon Village, Gochang, North Jeolla, about 72 km away.