At a glance
| Dates | Expected Sep/Oct/Nov 2027Autumn 2027 if the series continues: the 1st edition ran 6 Oct–5 Nov 2023 and the 4th runs 15 Sep–25 Oct 2026. Nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Autumn 2027 if the series continues: the 1st edition ran 6 Oct–5 Nov 2023 and the 4th runs 15 Sep–25 Oct 2026. Nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. |
| Admission | Free: the media-art exhibition, the docent walks, the eunjihwa workshop and the musical all cost nothing.Entry to the exhibition: Free · Docent walk, eunjihwa workshop and musical: Free (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Waegwan old town, from Waegwan Station to the Gusang Literature Museum경상북도 칠곡군 왜관읍 중앙로8길 10 (왜관역 종합안내소) |
| Nearest station | Waegwan Station (왜관역), Korail Gyeongbu Line (ITX-Saemaeul, ITX-Maeum, Mugunghwa) and Daegyeong LineNone: the festival information centre, where the route, the stamp tour and the docent walks begin, is in the station plaza |
| From Seoul | about 3 h 20 min · ITXLeave from Seoul Station · One-way fare from ₩28,500 · Back to Seoul the same nightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Chilgok Culture and Tourism Foundation(재)칠곡문화관광재단 |
| Usual timing | Autumn, for a month or more: the 1st edition ran 6 Oct–5 Nov 2023 and the 4th runs 15 Sep–25 Oct 2026 (41 days). The 2024 and 2025 editions (2nd and 3rd by the numbering) could not be dated. The theme and the venues change from one edition to the next. Browse September / October / November festivals. |
| First held | 2023 |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026Checked against 24 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Chilgok is a county on the Nakdong River just north-west of Daegu, and Waegwan, its main town, is a stop on the Gyeongbu Line between Seoul and Busan. Since 2023 the Chilgok Culture and Tourism Foundation has used the autumn for a 'transmedia' festival: one theme told through several media at once, from media art and exhibitions to performance and literature. The first edition, called the Chilgok International Transmedia Festival, ran from 6 October to 5 November 2023 under the theme 'Poetics of the Land', with work by artists from four countries (the UK, France, the US and Korea) at the Crafts Theme Park, the Honeybee Theme Park and the Chilgok Hoguk Peace Memorial Hall, where a media cube and a light show were set up.
The 4th edition, from 15 September to 25 October 2026, is about a friendship. The painter Lee Jung-seop stayed at the poet Ku Sang's home in Waegwan in the 1950s, and the town now has the Gusang Literature Museum and a street named after the two men's friendship. Rather than filling one hall, the festival spreads media art over 11 spaces on a walking route through the old town, from an introduction at Waegwan Station through stops called River, Friendship, Grass, Comfort, Family and Alley, then Waegwan Catholic Church and the Street of Friendship, to the literature museum. One installation, '0916', is named after 16 September, the birthday the two artists shared.
You can walk it alone with a stamp map (seven of the spaces have stamps) or follow a GPS 'Friendship Road' course through the old town, and trade the completed stamps for festival goods at the station or the museum. At weekends a docent leads a 60–80-minute walk from the station information centre at 11:00 and 15:00, and a 90-minute workshop teaches eunjihwa, the drawings Lee Jung-seop scratched into the silver foil of cigarette packets. Everything is free. Earlier in the run there were two performances of a musical about the two artists and the Chilgok Art Fair in the station plaza.
The honest caveats: this is a small-town daytime walk, not a night light show, and the exhibition keeps gallery hours (09:00–18:00) and closes on Mondays. Information is in Korean only and mostly on the festival's Instagram account. Waegwan has no KTX stop, so from Seoul it is well over three hours each way on direct ITX or Mugunghwa trains, or a KTX to Dongdaegu and a local train back up the line.
Highlights
- Media art in 11 spaces along a walking route from Waegwan Station to the Gusang Literature Museum, including Waegwan Catholic Church (2026)
- Theme: the friendship of the poet Ku Sang and the painter Lee Jung-seop, who stayed at Ku Sang's home in Waegwan in the 1950s
- Free docent walks every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 and 15:00, about 60–80 minutes, 10 people per tour, from the Waegwan Station information centre
- Lee Jung-seop eunjihwa (silver-foil drawing) workshop on Saturdays and Sundays, 14:00–15:30, 10 people per session
- Self-guided stamp tour of 7 exhibition spaces and a GPS 'Friendship Road' walk, with festival goods for those who finish
- Starts in the plaza of a Gyeongbu Line station, with direct ITX-Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains from Seoul and Busan
Who it suits. Best for travellers interested in Korean modern art and literature, admirers of Lee Jung-seop, and anyone on the Seoul–Daegu–Busan rail line who wants a quiet, free half-day walk in a small river town; less suited to visitors looking for a big night-time light show or English-language guiding.
Getting there
From Seoul
Direct trains run from Seoul Station to Waegwan Station on the Gyeongbu Line, and the festival starts in the station plaza: 14 a day in the October 2026 timetable. ITX-Saemaeul take about 3 h 20 m (3 h 05 m–3 h 37 m) and the one ITX-Maeum 3 h 19 m, both ₩28,500 standard class; Mugunghwa take 3 h 26 m–4 h 00 m (₩19,200). No KTX stops at Waegwan; the faster option is the KTX from Seoul Station to Dongdaegu (₩39,000 standard class, about 1 h 40 m–1 h 45 m), then the Daegyeong Line commuter train north to Waegwan (fares ₩1,500–2,800 by distance; the whole Gumi–Gyeongsan line takes about 40 minutes). Check train times in the Korail+ app (코레일+) before you go.
From Busan
Direct ITX-Saemaeul, ITX-Maeum and Mugunghwa trains run from Busan Station to Waegwan: 15 a day in the October 2026 timetable, taking 1 h 39 m–2 h 10 m (₩14,000 ITX, ₩9,400 Mugunghwa, standard class). No KTX stops at Waegwan.
From Incheon Airport
Take AREX to Seoul Station, then a direct ITX-Saemaeul or Mugunghwa train to Waegwan as above.
Last leg from Waegwan Station
Korail Gyeongbu Line (ITX-Saemaeul, ITX-Maeum, Mugunghwa) and Daegyeong Line. None: the festival information centre, where the route, the stamp tour and the docent walks begin, is in the station plaza
Festival shuttle
None: the 11 spaces are on a walking route through Waegwan's old town. The Daegyeong Line commuter railway, open since 14 December 2024, links Waegwan with Gumi, Seodaegu, Daegu and Dongdaegu.
Getting home
The exhibition closes at 18:00. Direct trains from Waegwan back to Seoul Station run into the evening, but the last-train times for 24–25 October 2026 were not checked against Korail's timetable: check the last train in the Korail+ app (코레일+, where KTX and former SRT trains are now booked) or at Waegwan Station before you go, and book the return in advance. For a later return, take the Daegyeong Line to Dongdaegu and the KTX from there; check both last trains the same way. Direct trains to Busan also run into the evening.
Parking
No parking information was published for 2026. The route begins at Waegwan Station, so the train is the simplest way to arrive.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Entry to the exhibition | Free | |
| Docent walk, eunjihwa workshop and musical | Free | Free; advance booking or on-site registration |
- Booking
- No booking for the exhibition. The docent walks and the eunjihwa workshop (10 people per session) take advance bookings or free on-site registration; the listings read did not give the booking channel, so ask at the Waegwan Station information centre, on Instagram (@transmedia2026) or on 070-4109-7977 (Korean).
- English on site
- No foreign-language information was found: KTO lists the festival in Korean only, and the language of the docent walks was not stated.
- Best time to go
- A Saturday or Sunday, to join the 11:00 or 15:00 docent walk or the 14:00 workshop; avoid Mondays, when it is closed. The last weekend of 2026 is 24–25 October.
- What to bring
- Comfortable walking shoes and a charged phone for the GPS tour.
- Step-free access
- The route is walked through the old town's streets and alleys; step-free access was not documented.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Autumn 2027 if the series continues: the 1st edition ran 6 Oct–5 Nov 2023 and the 4th runs 15 Sep–25 Oct 2026. Nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. | expected | The theme and venues have changed between editions (county theme parks and the Peace Memorial Hall in 2023, Waegwan old town in 2026). |
| 2026 | 15 Sep – 25 Oct 2026 | ended | The route starts at the information centre (종합안내소) in the Waegwan Station plaza, 10 Jungang-ro 8-gil, and runs through Waegwan's old town, past Waegwan Catholic Church, to the Gusang Literature Museum. |
| 2023 | 6 Oct – 5 Nov 2023 | ended | Spread across the county: Crafts Theme Park, Honeybee Theme Park, Chilgok Hoguk Peace Memorial Hall, Chilgok Weir Eco Park and the Waegwan Station area. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
Chilgok's central market, permanent since 1976 on the site of the Joseon-era Waegwan trading post, selling farm and river produce, side dishes and snacks, and lit up at night. It is the obvious lunch stop on the route, about 400 m from the information centre, so eat there between the morning docent walk and the 14:00 workshop. The big five-day market falls on dates ending in 1 and 6, so not on 24–25 October.
Getting there: On foot through the old town, about 400 m from the station plaza (KTO)
- Hoguk Bridge (old Waegwan Railway Bridge) (호국의 다리)After
A steel railway bridge opened in 1905, partly blown up on the evening of 3 August 1950 to slow the North Korean advance on the Nakdong River line; the broken span was never rebuilt, and shell marks remain. Now a free footbridge open at all hours, lit at night, with a music fountain below. Walk out after the exhibition closes at 18:00, but check your train home first and allow the walk back to Waegwan Station.
Getting there: On foot past Waegwan Market to the Nakdong riverside, about 860 m beyond the market (KTO); free
Questions travelers ask
When is the Chilgok Transmedia Festival 2026?
15 September to 25 October 2026, 09:00–18:00 from Tuesday to Sunday; it is closed on Mondays. It starts at the information centre in the plaza of Waegwan Station in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province.
Is the Chilgok Transmedia Festival free?
Yes. The exhibition, the weekend docent walks and the eunjihwa workshop are free; the walks and the workshop take 10 people per session, booked in advance or on the spot.
What is it about?
The 2026 edition is about the friendship of the poet Ku Sang and the painter Lee Jung-seop, who stayed at Ku Sang's home in Waegwan in the 1950s. Media art, installations and stops on the theme are spread over 11 spaces between Waegwan Station and the Gusang Literature Museum. The theme changes between editions: in 2023 it was 'Poetics of the Land'.
How do I get to Waegwan from Seoul?
Take a direct train from Seoul Station to Waegwan Station: ITX-Saemaeul in about 3 h 20 m (₩28,500) or Mugunghwa in 3 h 26 m–4 h 00 m (₩19,200), 14 trains a day in October 2026. No KTX stops at Waegwan; you can also take the KTX to Dongdaegu and the Daegyeong Line commuter train back north.
How long does the walk take?
The guided docent walk takes about 60–80 minutes. On your own, allow longer if you want to stop in all 11 spaces and finish the stamp tour (7 spaces) or the GPS course.
Can I go as a day trip from Seoul?
Yes. Direct ITX-Saemaeul trains take about 3 h 20 m each way and the festival starts in the Waegwan Station plaza; the exhibition closes at 18:00. Check the first train down and the last direct train back to Seoul Station in the Korail+ app (코레일+) or at the station before you go: the times for 24–25 October 2026 were not checked against Korail's timetable.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
22 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- KTO TourAPI listing 제4회 칠곡 트랜스미디어 축제 (contentId 4110067)kto — 2026 dates 15 Sep–25 Oct, 09:00–18:00, closed Mondays, free; venue Waegwan Station information centre, 중앙로8길 10; coordinates 35.9919, 128.4000; 칠곡문화관광재단; 070-4109-7977; homepage Instagram @transmedia2026; overview: Ku Sang and Lee Jung-seop theme, walking format across Waegwan-eup; Korean-only listing
- KTO tourist data — 제4회 칠곡 트랜스미디어 축제 (contentId 4110067, ktriptips mirror)kto — 11 named spaces, Waegwan Station to Gusang Literature Museum; Art Fair 10–11 Oct 13:00–18:00, station plaza; musical 19 Sep, 3 Oct 14:00, Community Hall 3F, 250 seats, 2 tickets each; docent walk 60–80 min, Sat/Sun 11:00, 15:00, 10 people; eunjihwa 1.5 h at 칠곡커, Sat/Sun 14:00–15:30, 10 people; stamp tour of 7 spaces, GPS tour, goods; Waegwan Market 398 m, abbey 474 m
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 2026 제4회 칠곡 트랜스미디어 축제 (22 Sep 2026)news — 4th edition, 15 Sep–25 Oct 2026; theme 구상 × 이중섭, 두 거장의 우정; 11 spaces, Waegwan Station to Gusang Literature Museum; GPS tour, docent walk, eunjihwa; '0916' installation for the shared 16 September birthday; children's docent tours; musical 3 Oct; Art Fair 10–11 Oct; opening with Steri Ensemble, Victoria, VR artist Peony; goods for finishing
- Popga — 제4회 칠곡 트랜스미디어 축제 listingother — 41 days, 15 Sep–25 Oct 2026; Tue–Sun 09:00–18:00, closed Mondays; free; route starts at the information desk in the Waegwan Station plaza; docent, workshop and musical by advance booking or free on-site registration; booking URL not given
- 축제.com — 제4회 칠곡 트랜스미디어 축제other — Walking format through the old town; Waegwan Catholic Church (왜관성당) among the 11 spaces; schedules may change; Honeybee Theme Park about 3 km away
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 칠곡 버거 페스타와 트랜스미디어 축제 (29 Sep 2026)news — Festival running in the Waegwan old town from 15 Sep 2026; reach Waegwan Station by the Daegyeong Line
- Maeil Shinmun — 제1회 칠곡국제트랜스미디어 축제 (6 Nov 2023)news — 1st edition, 6 Oct–5 Nov 2023; theme 땅의 시학; 10 artists from four countries; Crafts Theme Park, Honeybee Theme Park, Hoguk Peace Memorial Hall (veterans photo project, media installations), Chilgok Weir Eco Park book salon with nine bookshops, Waegwan Station plaza and Hoguk Bridge photo exhibition; history talk, camping, upcycling and cyanotype workshops
- Maeil Shinmun — 칠곡국제트랜스미디어 축제 (10 Oct 2023)news — 2023 festival until 5 Nov; 18 artists from the UK, France, the US and Korea; freshwater fish and bee ecosystems; media cube and light show at the Peace Memorial Hall; side events 6–8 Oct at Chilgok Weir (camping, canoeing, history talk, recycling crafts); Chilgok Culture and Tourism Foundation
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 구상·중섭 우정의 거리 (7 Aug 2024)news — Friendship Street 822 m long, 4–7 m wide, linking the Gusang Literature Museum with schools and apartments; four themed zones; Lee Jung-seop stayed at Ku Sang's Waegwan home in the 1950s
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 2026 왜관 홀리페스티벌 (1 Sep 2026)news — Waegwan Holy Festival at Waegwan Abbey, 4–6 Sep 2026, second edition; concerts, monastery tours, Gregorian chant
- Seoul Station → Waegwan train timetable, 19–25 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-19)other — 14 trains a day, 05:54–19:25; ITX-Saemaeul 3 h 05 m–3 h 37 m and ITX-Maeum 3 h 19 m, ₩28,500; Mugunghwa 3 h 26 m–4 h 00 m, ₩19,200; 05:54 ITX-Saemaeul 1001 arrives 09:15; no KTX
- Waegwan → Seoul Station train timetable, 19–25 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-19)other — 13 trains a day; last departures 16:24 ITX-Maeum 1014 (arr 19:58), 16:50 ITX-Saemaeul 1016 (arr 20:21) and 19:10 ITX-Saemaeul 1020 (arr 22:29); none between 16:50 and 19:10; same on 24 and 25 Oct
- Busan → Waegwan train timetable, 19–25 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-19)other — 15 trains a day, 05:02–20:55; 1 h 39 m–2 h 10 m; ITX-Saemaeul and ITX-Maeum ₩14,000, Mugunghwa ₩9,400; no KTX
- Waegwan → Busan train timetable, 19–25 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-19)other — 17 trains a day; last departures 19:57 Mugunghwa 1197 (arr 21:52) and 20:19 ITX-Saemaeul 1023 (arr 22:11)
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 대경선 개통 (12 Dec 2024)news — Daegyeong Line opens 14 Dec 2024; 61.8 km Gumi–Gyeongsan; base fare ₩1,500, at most ₩2,800; peak trains every 19 minutes; Gumi–Seodaegu 37 minutes; Dongdaegu and Daegu connect to Metro Line 1
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 대경선 다음 달 14일 개통 (24 Nov 2024)news — Gumi–Gyeongsan about 40 minutes; stations Gumi, Sagok, Buksam, Waegwan, Seodaegu, Daegu, Dongdaegu, Gyeongsan; regional transfer system covering Chilgok
- itwiki — 대경선map — Station order Gumi, Sagok, Buksam, Waegwan, Seodaegu, Daegu, Dongdaegu, Gyeongsan; operated by Korail; opened 14 Dec 2024
- Kyongbuk Maeil — KTX 통합에 대구경북 철길 넓어진다 (24 Aug 2026)news — KTX standard fares from 1 Sep 2026: Seoul–Dongdaegu ₩39,000 (₩38,600 via Seodaegu), Seoul–Seodaegu ₩37,900
- Dongdaegu → Seoul Station train timetable, 16–19 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — Last departures 22:48 KTX 82 (arr 00:27) and 22:57 KTX 84 (arr 00:42), weekdays and weekends alike: journeys of 1 h 39 min and 1 h 45 min
- Dongdaegu → Suseo train timetable, 16–22 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-16)other — Last departure 23:14 (KTX-Sancheon 366, plus 390 Mon–Thu), arriving 01:06: a journey of 1 h 52 min
- 4th Chilgok Transmedia Festival — official Instagram (transmedia2026), profileofficial — 2026 4th Chilgok Transmedia Festival, theme the friendship of Ku Sang and Lee Jung-seop, 15 Sep (Tue)–25 Oct (Sun) 2026, from Waegwan Station to the Gusang Literature Museum, closed every Monday
- KTO tourist data — 호국의 다리 (칠곡 왜관철교) (ktriptips mirror)kto — Hoguk Bridge (old Waegwan Railway Bridge): opened 1905, blown up in the Korean War to slow the North Korean advance, span not rebuilt, shell marks; registered heritage 2008; open at all hours, free; peace fountain below; Waegwan Market 857 m
- Kyongbuk Maeil — 호국의다리 (4 Aug 2026)news — Bridge blown up around 20:30 on 3 Aug 1950 on the order of the US 1st Cavalry Division commander; about 63 m span on the Waegwan side collapsed; lit at night; music fountain performances
- KTO tourist data — 왜관시장 (ktriptips mirror)kto — Waegwan Market: Chilgok's central market on the site of the Joseon-era Waegwan; permanent since 1976; farm and marine produce, side dishes; lit at night; five-day market on the 1st and 6th; 9 Sijang 2-gil; 4th Chilgok Transmedia Festival 398 m
What we could not confirm
- Dates, themes and venues of the 2024 (2nd) and 2025 (3rd) editions: none were found in news or KTO pages in this research pass.
- 2027 (5th) edition not announced as of 19 October 2026; the theme and venues have changed between editions.
- Which of the 11 spaces are indoors, and whether the outdoor ones can be seen outside 09:00–18:00 or on Mondays.
- Booking channel and language for the docent walks and the eunjihwa workshop; whether a Korean phone number is needed.
- Walking distance and time from Waegwan Station to the Gusang Literature Museum, and the museum's own hours, were not published.
- Japanese and Chinese names: KTO lists the festival in Korean only and no official foreign-language name was found; no English name from the organizer either (English name here is a translation).
- No visitor figures, restroom, accessibility, rain or pet information were published.
- Last direct trains from Waegwan to Seoul Station and Busan, and the last Daegyeong Line train to Dongdaegu with the last KTX from there, on 24–25 October 2026 under the Korail timetable in force that day (earlier times from a third-party timetable mirror were removed on 23 October 2026; Korail's pages were not read). Daegyeong Line ride time Waegwan–Dongdaegu not checked.
- Walking distance from Waegwan Station to Hoguk Bridge was not published (KTO gives about 860 m from Waegwan Market); Waegwan Market's opening hours were not listed.
- Whether visitors can enter Waegwan Abbey outside its September Holy Festival was not verified, so it was dropped from 'Before or after the festival'.
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a Wikimedia Commons photograph of Waegwan Station in the festival area (Kimhs5400(블루시티), CC BY-SA 4.0). · 2026-10-22 — Dates, area and Monday closing confirmed on the festival's official Instagram; no changes. · 2026-10-23 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: removed all train clock times (first train, last trains to Seoul and Busan, last KTX from Dongdaegu), which came from a third-party mirror; check in Korail+; prices: free, unchanged.
