Gyeonggi-do in January Festivals, dates and what's on

Gyeonggi-do has one festival on record in January: Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm, expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27, paid admission. The Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전) fills a 100,000-pyeong private arboretum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, about 65 km north-east of Seoul, with LED light displays every winter, lit from sunset (about 17:00) to 21:00 and to 23:00 on Saturdays. The 19th edition ran 5 December 2025–15 March 2026; 2026–27 dates are not announced, but recent editions opened on the first Friday of December and closed on a Sunday in mid-March. The lights are included in the garden's normal paid admission, recently about ₩7,000–11,000 depending on age. Take ITX-Cheongchun to Cheongpyeong Station, then a taxi of about 15 minutes.

Typical January weather in Gapyeong: average high 1 °C (34 °F), low −11 °C (12 °F), 15 mm of rain (Gapyeong station, about 15 km away, KMA 1993–2020 normals).

At a glance

FestivalDatesAdmissionNearest stationStatus
Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전Expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27Paid admissionCheongpyeong Station, Exit 1Expected

Dates marked “expected” follow the organizer's usual pattern and are replaced when the official announcement comes. Each festival page lists the sources.

Weather in January

Festival townAverage highAverage lowRainMeasured at
Gapyeong1 °C 34 °F−11 °C 12 °F15 mmGapyeongabout 15 km away

What to wear. Well below freezing at night: a down coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers.

Monthly averages, not a forecast. Source: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020 (Gapyeong: 1993–2020), via the KMA-sourced climate tables for Gapyeong. Where a festival town has no station with published normals, the nearest one is used and its distance shown.

The festival

All festivals in Gyeonggi-do
The Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong seen from above on a spring day; the lighting festival is held here in winter Expected
Expected2026
Dec / Jan / Feb / Mar
usual window
LightsGapyeongAbout 1 h 5 min from Seoul

Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm

The Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전) fills a 100,000-pyeong private arboretum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, about 65 km north-east of Seoul, with LED light displays every winter, lit from sunset (about 17:00) to 21:00 and to 23:00 on Saturdays. The 19th edition ran 5 December 2025–15 March 2026; 2026–27 dates are not announced, but recent editions opened on the first Friday of December and closed on a Sunday in mid-March.

January across Korea

All 17 festivals in January

January is ice season. It opens with sunrise festivals on the east coast, at Jeongdongjin in Gangneung and Homigot in Pohang, where crowds stay up on New Year's Eve for the year's first sunrise. Then the rivers freeze: Hwacheon cuts thousands of holes in its frozen stream for the mountain-trout festival, Hongcheon holds an ice-fishing festival on the frozen Hongcheon River, and Pyeongchang runs a trout festival beside the KTX line to Gangneung. Up in the Daegwallyeong highlands of the same county, the snow festival of sculptures and sled runs is planned to open on 30 January in 2027, and Taebaek builds snow sculptures in Taebaeksan National Park in late January or early February. In Cheongyang, the Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival runs through the month. Seoul's lanterns along Cheonggyecheon usually stay lit into mid-January, Busan's Haeundae Light Festival and Gwangbok-ro light trees into January or February, and the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong until March; the ASSITEJ children's theatre festival in Daehak-ro runs into the first weekend.

Tip. Daytime temperatures in Hwacheon sit around −5 °C; ice-fishing slots sell out on weekends, so book the weekday session.

Questions travelers ask

Is there a festival in Gyeonggi-do in January?

Gyeonggi-do has one festival on record in January: Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm, expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27, paid admission. The Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm (아침고요수목원 오색별빛정원전) fills a 100,000-pyeong private arboretum in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi-do, about 65 km north-east of Seoul, with LED light displays every winter, lit from sunset (about 17:00) to 21:00 and to 23:00 on Saturdays. The 19th edition ran 5 December 2025–15 March 2026; 2026–27 dates are not announced, but recent editions opened on the first Friday of December and closed on a Sunday in mid-March. The lights are included in the garden's normal paid admission, recently about ₩7,000–11,000 depending on age. Take ITX-Cheongchun to Cheongpyeong Station, then a taxi of about 15 minutes.

When is Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm 2026?

Expected Dec/Jan/Feb/Mar 2026–27. Expected. Paid admission. Nearest station: Cheongpyeong Station, Exit 1. The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.

What is the weather like in Gapyeong in January?

Average high 1 °C (34 °F), low −11 °C (12 °F), 15 mm of rain (Gapyeong station, about 15 km away, KMA 1993–2020 normals). Well below freezing at night: a down coat, hat, gloves and thermal layers.

How do I get to Gyeonggi-do?

Suwon by Line 1; Gapyeong by ITX-Cheongchun from Yongsan; Icheon by the Gyeonggang Line from Pangyo.

What else is on in Korea in January?

17 festivals across Korea fall in January, including ASSITEJ Korea Winter Festival, Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, Daegwallyeong Snow Festival. Daytime temperatures in Hwacheon sit around −5 °C; ice-fishing slots sell out on weekends, so book the weekday session.