Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival
진주 남강유등축제 · Jinju, South Gyeongsang
– 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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Lantern displays filling the Namgang River after dark, from a rite that began in the Imjin War.
Who it suits: Evening visitors, and anyone who prefers a festival with a real story behind it — the lanterns began as a 1592 wartime signal, later a memorial rite.
When, where, how much
From the organizer
Organized by Jinju-si, Jinju Art & Culture Foundation. 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: Exhibition of floating lanterns, hanging wishing lanterns, floating yudeung, fireworks display
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · visitkorea.or.kr · KOGL Type 3
Read our longer write-up on this festival →
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 282 km south of Seoul
About 113 km across — 6 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
282 km south of Seoul, in Jinju, 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 — Areas of Jinjuseong Fortress and Namgang River 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 Jinju 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:
- Jinjuseong Fortress (0.5 km)
- Somangjinsan Lantern Theme Park (0.9 km)
- Jinyangho Park (4.6 km)
- Gangju Pond (8.3 km)
- KAI Aerospace Museum (13.1 km)
- Suamsa Temple (18.3 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 Jinju 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 Jinju Namgang Yudeung 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.
- Suwon Hwaseong Festival — 2026/10/04 – 10/11, Suwon, Gyeonggi, 32 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.
- Jinhae Gunhangje Festival — March, Changwon, South Gyeongsang
- Hadong Wild Tea Cultural Festival — May, Hadong, South Gyeongsang
- Miryang Arirang Festival — May, Miryang, South Gyeongsang
- Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival — August, Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang
- Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival — November, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang
Other museums within reach
- Jinju National Museum — Jinju, South Gyeongsang, about 1 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 38 km away.