Gyeongsangbuk-do has 2 festivals in December: Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival (expected Nov/Dec 2026) and Homigot New Year Sunrise Festival (expected Dec/Jan 2026–27). The Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival (포항 구룡포 과메기 축제) is a free two-day weekend food festival on Ara Plaza, on the Gwamegi Culture Street of Guryongpo in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
| Festival | Dates | Admission | Nearest station | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival포항 구룡포 과메기 축제 | Expected Nov/Dec 2026 | Free entry | Pohang Station (KTX) | Expected |
| Homigot New Year Sunrise Festival호미곶 한민족 해맞이축전 | Expected Dec/Jan 2026–27 | Free entry | Pohang Station (KTX) | Expected |
Dates marked “expected” follow the organizer's usual pattern and are replaced when the official announcement comes. Each festival page lists the sources.
The Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival (포항 구룡포 과메기 축제) is a free two-day weekend food festival on Ara Plaza, on the Gwamegi Culture Street of Guryongpo in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do. Guryongpo is Korea's largest producer of gwamegi, saury dried in the winter sea wind.
The Homigot New Year Sunrise Festival (호미곶 한민족 해맞이축전) is Pohang's free all-night New Year's Eve festival at Homigot Haemaji Plaza, the cape at the eastern tip of the Korean Peninsula, where crowds watch the year's first sunrise beside the bronze Hand of Harmony rising from the sea. The 2026–27 edition is expected on 31 December 2026–1 January 2027 (not yet announced as of 19 October 2026), with sunrise at about 07:33.
December belongs to city lights. In Seoul, the Seoul Winter Festa groups the Lantern Festival along Cheonggyecheon and the Gwanghwamun Market, a free Christmas market with a carousel on Gwanghwamun Square (both from mid-December into January), the Seoul Light media-art shows on the curved façade of Dongdaemun Design Plaza, which run from the second half of December to a New Year's Eve countdown, and the New Year's Eve bell at Bosingak; children's theatre fills Daehak-ro for the ASSITEJ winter festival from the last Friday of the month. Outside Seoul, the Garden of Morning Calm in Gapyeong lights its gardens from the first Friday of December, and Busan has the Haeundae Light Festival and the Gwangbok-ro light trees; at Christmas Daegu lights Suseongmot Lake with residents' light art and drone shows, and Damyang holds a Santa parade. On New Year's Eve, crowds gather at Jeongdongjin and Homigot to wait for the first sunrise. Pyeongchang's trout festival and Chilgapsan's ice fountains can open in the last days of the month when it is cold enough.
Tip. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.
Gyeongsangbuk-do has 2 festivals in December: Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival (expected Nov/Dec 2026) and Homigot New Year Sunrise Festival (expected Dec/Jan 2026–27). The Guryongpo Gwamegi Festival (포항 구룡포 과메기 축제) is a free two-day weekend food festival on Ara Plaza, on the Gwamegi Culture Street of Guryongpo in Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do.
Expected Nov/Dec 2026. Expected. Free entry. Nearest station: Pohang Station (KTX). The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.
Expected Dec/Jan 2026–27. Expected. Free entry. Nearest station: Pohang Station (KTX). The organizer has not yet confirmed the dates; this page updates when they do.
KTX-Eum from Cheongnyangni Station to Andong in about 2 hours.
17 festivals across Korea fall in December, including ASSITEJ Korea Winter Festival, Chilgapsan Ice Fountain Festival, Damyang Santa Festival. Seoul's lantern route is free and outdoors; go after 18:00 when the installations are lit, and dress for −5 °C.