Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival
통영한산대첩축제 · Tongyeong, 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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A naval battle reenactment on the sea where Yi Sun-sin won it, with replica turtle ships.
Who it suits: History-minded visitors. It reenacts Yi Sun-sin's 1592 naval victory on the water it happened on, with replica turtle ships.
When, where, how much
From the organizer
Organized by Tongyeong Cultural 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: National Turtle Ship Rowing Competition, Goyuje Ritual, Three Provinces Naval Commander’s Parade & Military Inspection Reenactment, Opening Ceremony & Special Performance, Opening Fireworks Show, Original Musical, 2026 Tonight Tongyeong Fireworks Show…
Photos: Korea Tourism Organization · visitkorea.or.kr · KOGL Type 3
Where it is
Where it is in the country — 330 km south-east of Seoul
About 138 km across — 4 other places we cover sit inside it. The pick of them is listed below.
330 km south-east of Seoul, in Tongyeong, 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 — Tongyeong Hansan Battle Plaza and other locations across Tongyeong 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 Tongyeong 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:
- Seopirang Park (0.5 km)
- Tongyeong Sebyeonggwan Hall (0.8 km)
- Chungnyeolsa Shrine (0.9 km)
- Undersea Tunnel - Tongyeong (1.3 km)
- Chungmugong Night Cruise (1.5 km)
- The Jeon Hyuck Lim Mueseum of Art (1.8 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 Tongyeong 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 Tongyeong Hansan Battle Festival and are worth checking before you commit to a route.
- Boryeong Mud Festival — 2026/07/24 – 08/09, Boryeong, South Chungcheong, 145 km from Seoul.
- Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Festival — 2026/07/25 – 08/02, Jangheung, Jeonnam-Gwangju, 321 km from Seoul.
- Incheon Pentaport Rock Festival — 2026/07/31 – 08/02, Incheon, 35 km from Seoul.
- Andong National Heritage Night - Wolyeong Night Stroll — 2026/07/31 – 08/09, Andong, North Gyeongsang, 193 km from Seoul.
- Gangneung National Heritage Night — 2026/08/14 – 08/16, Gangneung, Gangwon, 170 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
- Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival — October, Jinju, South Gyeongsang
- Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival — November, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang
Other museums within reach
- Jinju National Museum — Jinju, South Gyeongsang, about 50 km away.
The coast from here
- The Namparang Trail — Oryukdo, Nam-gu, Busan, about 69 km away. The trail itself runs 1,470 km along the south coast, so it likely passes closer than this.