Jinhae Gunhangje Festival
진해군항제 · Changwon, South Gyeongsang
– 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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Korea's biggest cherry blossom festival, centered on Jinhae's naval port and the Yeojwacheon stream.
Who it suits: Anyone whose one priority is cherry blossom. This is the country's largest — the scale is the point, and so is the crowd, so go early in the day.
When, where, how much
From the organizer
Organized by Changwon Special City. 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.
Program: Opening Ceremony, Military Band and Honor Guard Festival (Opening Ceremony & Marching Performance), Memorial Rite for Admiral Yi Sun-sin, Admiral Yi Sun-sin Victory Parade, Black Eagles Air Show, Cherry Blossom Music Festival…
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · visitkorea.or.kr · KOGL Type 3
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 308 km south-east of Seoul
About 115 km across — 11 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
308 km south-east of Seoul, in Changwon, South Gyeongsang (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 — Throughout Jinhae-gu, Changwon 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 Changwon 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:
- Jinhae Museum of Changwon City (0.4 km)
- Jehwangsan Park (0.5 km)
- Yeojwacheon Stream (1.7 km)
- Gyeonghwa Station Cherry Blossom Street (2.6 km)
- Changwon Rose Garden (7.0 km)
- Changwon Arboretum (8.8 km)
Places and distances from the Korea Tourism Organization's location data. We have not visited all of them.
Getting there and staying
There is a guided day trip to this festival, which solves the transport question if the venue is awkward to reach on your own:
For a bed near the festival, Klook's accommodation search for Changwon 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 Jinhae Gunhangje Festival and are worth checking before you commit to a route.
- Gwangyang Maehwa Festival — 2026/03/13 – 03/22, Gwangyang, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 285 km from Seoul.
- Gurye Sansuyu Festival — 2026/03/14 – 03/22, Gurye, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 254 km from Seoul.
- Yeongdeungpo Yeouido Spring Flower Festival — 2026/04/03 – 04/07, Seoul, 6 km from Seoul.
- Yeoju Ceramic Festival — 2026/03/19 – 05/01, Yeoju, Gyeonggi, 67 km from Seoul.
- Yeongam Wangin Culture Festival — 2026/04/04 – 04/12, Yeongam, Jeonnam, 314 km from Seoul.
- Goryeong Daegaya Festival — 2026/03/27 – 03/29, Goryeong, Gyeongbuk, 235 km from Seoul.
Other festivals in South Gyeongsang
Same province, different times of year — useful if you are choosing when to visit South Gyeongsang rather than when to leave home.
- Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival — May, Hadong, South Gyeongsang
- Miryang Arirang Festival — May, Miryang, South Gyeongsang
- Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival — August, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang
- Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival — October, Jinju, South Gyeongsang
- Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival — November, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang
Other museums within reach
- Gimhae National Museum — Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, about 22 km away.
- National Maritime Museum of Korea — Yeongdo, Busan, about 39 km away. Sea and ecology rather than history.
The coast from here
- The Namparang Trail — Oryukdo, Nam-gu, Busan, about 43 km away. The trail itself runs 1,470 km along the south coast, so it likely passes closer than this.
Filmed near here
- Busan K-Pop Locations — Gamcheon, Saha-gu, Busan, about 32 km away.