Yesan Market Samguk Festival
Oct 22 – Oct 25, 2026 · Chungcheongnam-do
Overview
This year marks a special year celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Yesan Market Samguk Festival and the 100th anniversary of Yesan Market. The festival will be held to convey the lives and stories of the county's residents contained in guk-bap (rice soup), guksu (noodles), and gukhwa (chrysanthemums), along with Yesan Market's endless message of hope as it begins a new 100 years. It plans to capture the records of the past 10 years and the wishes of the county's residents, vividly and steadily, filling them without exception into the 'Samguk' box of hope. It will unfold the theme 'An Unending Story' through four themes — expansion of value, expansion of space, expansion of participation, and expansion of time — under the slogan "Yesan Market! Our story continues." It will heighten the festival atmosphere across the entire region, and showcase the brand of a local festival through collaboration with regional young local creators and youth organizations. Centered on representative programs selected from among the 10 must-do bucket list items at the Yesan Market Samguk Festival, it will be run to enliven a food culture together with local residents, strengthened with Samguk content.
Why go
The Yesan Market Samguk Festival marks both the 10th anniversary of the festival and the 100th anniversary of Yesan Market itself, built around the 'samguk' (three guk) theme of guk-bap (rice soup), guksu (noodles), and gukhwa (chrysanthemum). It's a chance to see a century-old regional market celebrated through food, local stories, and collaborations with young regional creators and youth groups.
Getting there from Seoul
Yesan-eup sits in Chungcheongnam-do; Korail's Janghang Line runs trains from Yongsan Station in Seoul to Yesan Station, and intercity/express buses also connect Seoul's bus terminals to the Yesan bus terminal. From either station, the market is within a short walk or taxi ride of the town centre.
Tips
- Visit on a weekday if you can — small-town market festivals like this tend to get crowded on weekends.
- Come hungry: the festival's whole theme is built around guk-bap and guksu stalls, so food is the main draw.
- The festival runs only October 22–25, 2026, so confirm the dates before planning your trip.
Best for: food lovers, culture & heritage, photographers, day-trippers.
Photos
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization 
Photo: Korea Tourism Organization
Other festivals in Chungcheongnam-do
Chungcheongnam-do
Yesan Apple Festival
Oct 30 – Oct 31, 2026
The 23rd Yesan Apple Festival will be held with the spectacular view of the Yedang Lake Suspension Bridge, the largest of its kind in the country, along with a variety of apple experience programs that visitors of all ages can enjoy. By making use of the local tourism resource 'Yedang Lake Suspension Bridge' and designating it as this year's festival venue, the festival will begin at the symbolic Yedang Lake Observatory and link up with tourist facilities around Yedang Lake, promoting both Yesan apples and the region's landmark together during the festival period. With apple wine, apple desserts, and a collaboration of jazz, traditional Korean music, and classical music, the festival will be held under the theme 'A Sweet Day at Yedang Lake,' introducing visitors to the taste and excellence of Yesan apples. Among the programs, the 'Yesan Apple Sale Festa' is a Yesan apple sales venue in which Yesan apple orchard farmers participate, operated by the Yedang Apple Horticultural Agricultural Cooperative. It will run for only two days during the festival period and will be a signature program where visitors can get high-quality Yesan apples at affordable prices.
Chungcheongnam-do
The Good Brothers Festival
Nov 7 – Nov 8, 2026
The Good Brothers Festival is a family-oriented cultural festival held in Daeheung-myeon, Yesan-gun, Chungcheongnam-do, that reinterprets the values of brotherly love, sharing, and consideration found in the local folktale of the Good Brothers in a modern way. The festival runs experience programs based on storytelling of the Good Brothers tale, along with traditional games, family participation events, cultural performances, and a market selling local food and agricultural specialties. Through programs that people of all ages can take part in, the event is designed to let visitors experience the region's history and culture and understand the value of community. Near the festival site are Yesan-gun's representative tourist attractions, including the Yedangho Suspension Bridge and the Yedangho Monorail, making it a leading cultural tourism festival of Yesan-gun where visitors can experience local culture and tourism together.
Chungcheongnam-do
2026 Chungcheongnam-do Drone Festa
Oct 17, 2026
The "2026 Chungcheongnam-do Drone Festa" is a comprehensive drone event that brings together a national drone competition, a drone conference, a drone light show, and exhibition and experience programs all in one place. The national drone competition is a nationwide contest in which participants compete in piloting skills and mission performance, including a Precision Control Mission Challenge and a Search Mission Challenge, offering a stage where any member of the public can take part as a competitor.
Reach travelers heading to Chungcheongnam-do: sponsor this page.
Dates and programs can change. Check the official site before you go.