Festivals, sights across Korea

The Jeju Folk Village Hydrangea Festival will take place until Sunday at Jeju Folk Village in Seogwipo, Jeju Island. This seasonal celebration showcases the early summer beauty of hydrangeas alongside Jeju’s traditional culture. Visitors can enjoy weekend stamp tour events, traditional rice cake-making experiences and a flea market featuring handcrafted goods. Guests wearing traditional Korean hanbok, available for rent on-site, receive a 70 percent discount on admission. The festival also features folk food vendors and cultural exhibitions.

The 23rd Buyeo Seodong Lotus Festival runs until Sunday in Buyeo County, South Chungcheong Province. Held at Gungnamji Pond, Korea’s oldest artificial lotus pond, the event is themed “Beautiful Love Like a Lotus.” Highlights include a water-stage musical, a nighttime LED photo zone, a lotus-themed drone show and international performances. Families can participate in canoe rides, local food experiences and various contests, including dance and singing. Under the theme of the legendary Seodong and Princess Seonhwa, the festival blends history, nature and performances.

Yangpyeong in Gyeonggi Province is hosting the Yangpyeong Watermelon Festival until Sunday. The festival promotes Yangpyeong’s sweet, crisp watermelons, which are grown in pristine conditions. Under the theme of "Watermelon, Water, Wellness," the event offers watermelon carving contests, a local song festival, tasting events and sales of regional produce. Family-friendly attractions include children’s water play areas, DIY crafts, face painting and wellness activities, making it a refreshing summer outing.

The Daegu Chimac Festival is being held at Duryu Park in Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, until Sunday. As Korea’s largest festival celebrating chicken and beer, it offers EDM concerts, K-pop performances, water-themed zones and a 360-degree central stage. Visitors can also enjoy cooking competitions, beer-tasting events and interactive photo zones. This five-day event has become a summer staple, drawing over a million attendees since its inception in 2013.

The 2025 World Heritage Festival runs until Oct. 22, with events centered in Jeju City, Jeju Island, and other designated heritage sites across Korea. The festival celebrates UNESCO-listed World Heritage sites through immersive programs that reflect their "Outstanding Universal Value." On Jeju, visitors can join walking tours along volcanic landscapes and nighttime hikes at Hallasan and Seongsan Ilchulbong. Programs also include busking by local musicians, interactive exhibitions and community storytelling at heritage villages. For younger participants, guided explorations into restricted lava caves offer rare educational experiences.