At a glance
| Dates | 4 Sep – 8 Nov 2026Happening now · 31st edition, run by the Hongseong Namdang Port Festival Promotion Committee (chair Kim Yong-tae). Opened on 4 September 2026 and runs about two months; prices are fixed across shops to avoid confusion. KTO notes that program details may change on site. |
|---|---|
| Hours | 09:00–24:00; times vary by program (KTO) |
| Admission | Free entry. You pay for food: in 2026 daeha prawns are sold at one festival price of ₩45,000 per kg to take away or ₩60,000 per kg in restaurants, and some experience programs are paid.Entry: Free · Daeha prawns packed to take away, per kg: ₩45,000 · Daeha prawns eaten in a port restaurant, per kg: ₩60,000 |
| Venue | Namdang Port special stage and port area충청남도 홍성군 서부면 남당항로213번길 1-1 |
| Nearest station | Hongseong Station (홍성역), Korail Janghang Line (Mugunghwa, Saemaeul and ITX-Maeum from Yongsan)Not walkable: the port is about 25 km west of Hongseong town; take a taxi from the station (time and fare not documented) |
| From Seoul | Not published · Train + TaxiLeave from Yongsan Station · One-way fare from ₩9,600 · Back to Seoul the same nightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Hongseong Namdang Port Festival Promotion Committee홍성남당항축제추진위원회 |
| Usual timing | About two months in the autumn prawn season, starting in late August or early September and ending between mid-October and early November: 9 Sep–15 Oct 2023, 30 Aug–31 Oct 2024, 22 Aug–20 Oct 2025, 4 Sep–8 Nov 2026. The dates have been public by August. Browse August / September / October / November festivals. |
| Last checked | 21 October 2026Checked against 35 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Namdang Port (남당항) is a small fishing port in Seobu-myeon on the west coast of Hongseong County, facing Cheonsu Bay, the shallow bay that Anmyeondo shelters from the open sea. Each autumn its seafood restaurants and stalls become a two-month festival of daeha, the large prawns that spawn in the bay in spring, grow fast around Chuseok and leave for open water when the cold winds arrive. The classic way to eat them is salt-grilled: the prawns are cooked in a pot on a layer of sea salt, then peeled and dipped in soy sauce or chojang (vinegared chili sauce).
The 2026 edition is the 31st. It opened on 4 September and runs to 8 November, 09:00–24:00, around a special stage and through the port area. To avoid confusion between shops, the organizing committee sets a single price for the festival: in 2026, ₩45,000 per kg packed to take away and ₩60,000 per kg eaten in a restaurant (₩35,000 and ₩55,000 in 2025). The stage program is busiest at the start and over Chuseok, with opening shows on 4–6 September and Chuseok shows on 25–26 September by singers such as Park Hyun-bin and Bin Ye-seo, and there are performances at weekends and on holidays and a visitors' singing contest. Every Saturday and Sunday you can try catching prawns by hand.
Next to the port, the Marine Fountain Park (55,000 m², opened in 2023) has a large music fountain, a night laser show, a net adventure course and a 280 m trick-art zone, and the Namdang Sunset Observatory, about 1 km away, is a red deck over the beach for sunset across the bay. The port is also known for jeoneo (gizzard shad) in autumn and holds a bird-clam (saejogae) festival in winter.
Honest caveats: this is a port lined with seafood restaurants rather than a festival ground, so outside the opening and Chuseok weekends the program is mostly eating. The port is about 25 km west of Hongseong town and no festival shuttle was found, so without a car you need a taxi from Hongseong Station or the bus terminal. Weekends and Chuseok bring traffic queues along the coast road. Both wild prawns and farmed whiteleg shrimp are sold at the port, so ask what you are buying, and no English-language festival information was found.
Highlights
- Salt-grilled daeha: in-season prawns from Cheonsu Bay cooked on sea salt in the port's restaurants, at one festival price of ₩60,000 per kg in restaurants or ₩45,000 per kg to take away (2026)
- Bare-hand prawn catching every Saturday and Sunday of the 2026 festival
- Opening shows 4–6 September and Chuseok shows 25–26 September 2026 on the special stage, with singers including Park Hyun-bin and Bin Ye-seo; weekend and holiday performances and a visitors' singing contest
- Sunset over Cheonsu Bay from the Namdang Sunset Observatory, a red deck about 1 km from the festival address, open at all times
- Namdang Port Marine Fountain Park beside the port (55,000 m², opened 2023): music fountain, night laser show, net adventure course and a 280 m trick-art zone
- Seafood market, port restaurants and local farm and fishery products, with other autumn catches such as jeoneo (gizzard shad)
Who it suits. Best for seafood lovers, couples and families who want a relaxed day of grilled prawns and a west-coast sunset, with a two-month window that fits almost any autumn trip; less suited to vegetarians, to travelers without a car who mind a 25 km taxi ride from Hongseong town, or to anyone expecting a big program every day (the shows cluster on weekends and holidays).
Getting there
From Seoul
Train from Yongsan Station to Hongseong Station on the Janghang Line: about 15 a day, about 2 h by ITX-Maeum or Saemaeul (₩14,300) or about 2 h 10 m–2 h 20 m by Mugunghwa (₩9,600); there is no KTX. Or an express bus from Seoul Central City (Honam line) to Hongseong Terminal: about 14 a day, 1 h 54 m, ₩11,100 regular or ₩16,300 deluxe. The station and the terminal are both in Goam-ri on the edge of Hongseong town; Namdang Port is about 25 km further west on the Cheonsu Bay coast, so take a taxi from there (no local bus times were found). By car, leave the Seohaean Expressway at Hongseong IC and follow Route 40 towards Namdang-ri and Anmyeondo.
From Incheon Airport
Direct buses run from Hongseong Terminal to Incheon Airport, about six a day (about 2 h 30 m to Terminal 1, ₩23,200 deluxe or ₩30,200 premium); check departure times at the terminal before you travel. The port is about 25 km further by taxi. Airport-to-Hongseong times were not checked.
Last leg from Hongseong Station
Korail Janghang Line (Mugunghwa, Saemaeul and ITX-Maeum from Yongsan). Not walkable: the port is about 25 km west of Hongseong town; take a taxi from the station (time and fare not documented)
Festival shuttle
No festival shuttle bus was found for 2026. Hongseong County runs a tourist taxi for visitors from outside the county, for groups of up to four: ₩40,000 for 4 hours, ₩60,000 for 6 hours and ₩20,000 for each extra hour (2024 rates), booked through the county's Culture and Tourism Division (041-630-1228) or the Roiku app. When it started in 2023 it had to be booked at least three days ahead.
Getting home
Trains from Hongseong to Yongsan take about 2–2 h 20 m, and the last ones leave in the evening. Korail's timetable changes on 1 November 2026, so check the last train for your date in the Korail app (코레일+ / Korail+) or at Hongseong Station before the festival day, and the last express bus to Seoul Central City at Hongseong Terminal. The festival runs until midnight, long after the last train, so leave enough time for the 25 km taxi ride back to town.
Parking
Free parking at Namdang Port and at the Namdang Sunset Observatory (listing data). Traffic builds at peak times: over the 2023 Chuseok holiday, queues stretched back along the coast road to Gungni Port and the Sokdong observatory, and 121,000 vehicles used the Hongseong and Gwangcheon interchanges. Arrive early on weekends and holidays.
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 | Free | Free; some food and experience programs are paid (KTO) |
| Daeha prawns packed to take away, per kg | ₩45,000 | Single festival price across shops (2026) |
| Daeha prawns eaten in a port restaurant, per kg | ₩60,000 | Single festival price across restaurants (2026) |
| Bare-hand prawn catching | — | Fee not published |
- Booking
- No booking is needed for entry. How to join the weekend bare-hand prawn catching, and its fee, were not published; the organizing committee's number is 010-5433-8196 and it posts news on its Naver blog (blog.naver.com/official_namdang), in Korean.
- English on site
- No English-language festival information was found beyond KTO's English listing; the organizer posts in Korean only.
- Crowds
- Busiest at weekends and over Chuseok: the county estimated more than 100,000 visitors over the 2023 Chuseok holiday, with traffic queues along the coast road. Namdang Port drew about 780,000 visitors in 2021, with visits peaking in September–October (prawns) and January–February (bird clams).
- Best time to go
- September to mid-October, when the prawns grow fastest around Chuseok; a weekday to avoid queues, or a Saturday or Sunday for the bare-hand catching. Stay for sunset over Cheonsu Bay.
- What to bring
- A warm layer for the evening breeze on the waterfront, and a cool bag if you plan to take prawns home.
- Toilets
- Public restrooms at Namdang Port (listing data).
2026 program
- 4 Sepopening ceremony of the 31st festival; opening shows 4–6 Sep
- 25–26 SepChuseok special shows; singers for the opening and Chuseok shows included Bin Ye-seo, Park Hyun-bin, Jang Do-hyun, Yoo Do-hyun, Kim Jung-ah and Kim Seo-yeon
- Every Saturday and Sundaybare-hand prawn catching
- Weekend and holiday cultural performances, invited singers and local artists; visitors' singing contest
- Seafood food market, sales of daeha and other Namdang Port seafood, local farm and fishery products
31st edition, run by the Hongseong Namdang Port Festival Promotion Committee (chair Kim Yong-tae). Opened on 4 September 2026 and runs about two months; prices are fixed across shops to avoid confusion. KTO notes that program details may change on site.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | About two months from late August or early September 2027 if the pattern holds: the last four editions started between 22 August and 9 September and ended between 15 October and 8 November. The 2026 dates were public by 20 August 2026 and the 2025 dates by 7 August 2025, so expect an announcement in August 2027. Not announced as of 18 October 2026. | expected | Would be the 32nd edition if the numbering continues. |
| 2026 | 4 Sep – 8 Nov 2026 | confirmed | Special stage and the port area around Namdanghang-ro 213beon-gil 1-1, with the Marine Fountain Park beside it. |
| 2025 | 22 Aug – 20 Oct 2025 | ended | 30th edition. A preview published on 7 August 2025 gave 22 August–7 September; a September 2025 news feature and a magazine listing gave 22 August–20 October, used here. |
| 2024 | 30 Aug – 31 Oct 2024 | ended | 29th edition. Dates from a Daum travel channel; a news report confirms a late-August opening. About 15,000 visitors came to the port over Chuseok 2024, and the daily catch averaged about 6 t, nearly double 2023, which locals put down to warm seas after the summer heat wave. |
| 2023 | 9 Sep – 15 Oct 2023 | ended | 28th edition. Only prawns tested for radioactivity and antibiotics were sold; county tests of wild prawns caught at Namdang and of whiteleg shrimp sold there found no radiation. The county estimated more than 100,000 visitors over the 2023 Chuseok holiday. |
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.
A 55,000 m² seaside park beside the port, opened in 2023, with a music fountain you can play in by day that runs with lasers and lighting against Cheonsu Bay after dark, a two-storey net adventure course and a 280 m trick-art zone. The fountain runs 11:00–20:40 in nine sessions of about 40 minutes, and entry is free. It closes on Mondays and for the winter from mid-November, so it is open on every other day of the festival. Tip: catch an evening session after a prawn dinner.
Getting there: On foot, about 190 m from the festival stage; free
- Namdang Sunset Observatory (남당노을전망대)Before or after
A red deck reaching out over the beach for sunsets over Cheonsu Bay, on course 63 of the Seohaerang-gil coastal trail. It is open at all times and free, and the festival runs until midnight, so walk over for sunset and come back for a late prawn dinner, or the other way round. Tip: there is free parking at the entrance if you drive.
Getting there: On foot, about 1 km from the festival address
A 65 m observation tower at Sokdong on the coast road between Eosa and Gungni ports, with a panoramic skywalk about 66 m around its viewing level and a rooftop deck over the Cheonsu Bay mudflats; Sokdong Observatory stands beside it. Open 10:00–19:00 (closed 12:00–13:00; last entry 18:30) and closed on Mondays; ₩3,000, of which ₩2,000 comes back as a Hongseong gift voucher. Go in the afternoon and be at the port by dusk. Tip: without a car, the county's tourist taxi covers both.
Getting there: By taxi along Namdanghang-ro (the tower is at No. 689), time and fare not checked; or the county tourist taxi (₩40,000 for 4 hours in 2024)
A four-day barbecue and meat festival around Hongju-eupseong, the walled old town in the centre of Hongseong, with grill zones, visiting barbecue teams, discounted local beef and pork and evening concerts; free entry, 29 October–1 November 2026. Hongseong town is where the trains and buses leave, so stop there on the way in or out: main-stage shows run 17:00–18:00 each day (news report) and fireworks close it at 18:00–19:00 on 1 November. Allow for the 25 km taxi between the two.
Getting there: Taxi about 25 km east to Hongseong town; the old town is a short taxi ride from the station and bus terminal in Goam-ri
Questions travelers ask
When is the Hongseong Namdang Port King Prawn Festival 2026?
It is on now: 4 September to 8 November 2026, 09:00–24:00 (times vary by program), around the special stage at Namdang Port in Seobu-myeon, Hongseong. The opening shows ran 4–6 September and the Chuseok shows 25–26 September; bare-hand prawn catching runs every Saturday and Sunday.
Is it free, and how much do the prawns cost?
Entry is free. In 2026 shops sell daeha at one festival price: ₩45,000 per kg packed to take away, or ₩60,000 per kg eaten in a restaurant. In 2025 the prices were ₩35,000 and ₩55,000.
How do I get to Namdang Port from Seoul?
Take the Janghang Line train from Yongsan to Hongseong (about 2 hours; ₩9,600 Mugunghwa or ₩14,300 ITX-Maeum/Saemaeul; there is no KTX) or an express bus from Seoul Central City (1 h 54 m, ₩11,100–16,300), then a taxi about 25 km west to the port. For up to four people, the county's tourist taxi (₩40,000 for 4 hours in 2024) is another option.
What is the last train back to Seoul?
Trains from Hongseong to Yongsan (about 2–2 h 20 m) stop running in the evening, but Korail's timetable changes on 1 November 2026, so check the last train for your date in the Korail app (코레일+ / Korail+) or at Hongseong Station before the festival day, and the last express bus to Seoul Central City at Hongseong Terminal. Leave the port in time for the 25 km taxi ride back to Hongseong.
Are the prawns wild or farmed?
Both wild daeha and farmed whiteleg shrimp are sold at the port, so ask which you are buying; in 2023 the county tested both and found no radiation. Daeha spawn in Cheonsu Bay in spring, grow fast around Chuseok and leave the bay when the cold winds come. In 2024 wild daeha sold for ₩30,000–50,000 per kg packed.
What else is there to do at Namdang Port?
The Marine Fountain Park beside the port (opened 2023) has a music fountain, a night laser show, a net adventure course and a 280 m trick-art zone, and the Namdang Sunset Observatory is about 1 km away. In Hongseong town, the Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival runs 29 October–1 November 2026.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
21 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2026 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- KTO TourAPI listing 홍성남당항 대하축제 (contentId 140911)kto — 31st edition, 4 Sep–8 Nov 2026; opening shows 4–6 Sep, Chuseok shows 25–26 Sep and named singers; hours 09:00–24:00 (varies by program); free entry, some food and experiences paid; venue and address 남당항로213번길 1-1; coordinates 36.5388/126.4723; organizer; phone 010-5433-8196; Naver blog homepage; jeoneo and sunset in overview
- KTO VisitKorea (EN) — 제31회 홍성남당항 대하축제 (cid 140911)kto — 2026 dates 4 Sep–8 Nov, opening shows 4–6 Sep and Chuseok shows 25–26 Sep, 09:00–24:00, free entry with some paid food and experiences, address, organizer, phone 010-5433-8196, program list (seafood market, local products, weekend and holiday performances, prawn experiences, visitors' singing)
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — festival listing: 홍성남당항 대하축제ministry — 31st edition; 4 Sep–8 Nov 2026; 09:00–24:00; free entry with some paid food and experiences; local specialty festival; organizer; Naver blog; opening 4–6 Sep and Chuseok 25–26 Sep shows with Bin Ye-seo, Park Hyun-bin, Jang Do-hyun, Yoo Do-hyun, Kim Jung-ah, Kim Seo-yeon
- Wikitree 2026-08-20 — 31st Hongseong Namdang Port prawn festival previewnews — 31st edition 4 Sep–8 Nov 2026, about two months, opening ceremony 4 Sep; single prices ₩45,000/kg packed and ₩60,000/kg in restaurants; bare-hand prawn catching and visitors' singing contest; committee chair Kim Yong-tae; Hongseong Sky Tower, Marine Fountain Park, Sokdong Observatory, Namdang Sunset Observatory, Rainbow Road, Gungni Port, Sokdong mudflat
- Nocut News (EN) 2026-09-04 — 31st Hongseong Namdang Port Large Prawn Festival opensnews — Opening ceremony 4 Sep 2026, runs to 8 Nov; hands-on prawn catching every Saturday and Sunday; food stalls, experiences and performances; English name 'Hongseong Namdang Port Large Prawn Festival'
- 여기유 (festival listing site) — 홍성남당항 대하축제other — 2026 edition 4 Sep–8 Nov marked ongoing; coordinates 36.5390/126.4722; Namdang Sunset Observatory about 1 km from the festival address
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 홍성남당항대하축제 (festival 140911)kto — 2026 dates and hours; bare-hand prawn catching among participation programs; usually held around September–October; Marine Fountain Park 191 m and Namdang Rainbow Road 848 m from the festival address; bird-clam festival at the same port
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror, Japanese) — 洪城南塘港大海老祭りkto — Japanese name 洪城南塘港大海老祭り; 2026-09-04 to 2026-11-08; 9:00–24:00
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror, Simplified Chinese) — 洪城南塘港大虾庆典kto — Simplified Chinese name 洪城南塘港大虾庆典; 2026-09-04 to 2026-11-08; Namdang Port about 25 km west of Hongseong-eup
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror, Traditional Chinese) — 洪城南塘港大蝦節kto — Traditional Chinese name 洪城南塘港大蝦節 (title as shown in search results; the page opened on a festival index)
- Wikitree 2025-08-07 — 30th Hongseong Namdang Port prawn festival previewnews — 30th edition; preview dates 22 Aug–7 Sep 2025; single prices ₩35,000/kg packed and ₩55,000/kg in restaurants; bare-hand prawn catching, visitors' singing contest, singers including Kim Hee-jae
- Joongdo Ilbo (via Daum) 2025-09-29 — [맛있는 여행] 89 홍성 남당항 대하축제news — 2025 festival 22 Aug–20 Oct, 30th year; Marine Fountain Park at 남당항로 171, 55,000 m², developed 2023, music fountain, night laser show, net adventure, 280 m trick-art zone; Namdang Sunset Observatory; Seohaerang-gil course 63; bird-clam festival January–March
- ELLE Korea 2025-08-29 — autumn festivals (magazine listing)news — 2025 Namdang Port prawn festival 22 Aug–20 Oct, 30th; fountain show at sunset in the Marine Fountain Park; observation deck on Namdang Rainbow Road; salt-grilled prawns
- 여행다이어리 (Daum travel channel) 2024-09-14 — 전국 가을 축제 BEST 10blog — 29th edition 30 Aug (Fri)–31 Oct (Thu) 2024 at 남당항로213번길 1-1; free entry; bare-hand prawn catching
- Munhwa Ilbo 2024-09-23 — bumper prawn catch at Namdang Portnews — Festival opened in late August 2024; about 15,000 visitors over Chuseok 2024; wild prawns ₩30,000–50,000/kg packed, cheaper on big-catch days; about 6 t a day, nearly double 2023; warm seas after the heat wave
- News Seoul 2023-08-28 — 제28회 홍성남당항 대하축제news — 28th edition 9 Sep–15 Oct 2023; organizer Namdang Port Festival Promotion Committee; ₩35,000/kg packed and ₩50,000 in restaurants; only prawns tested for radioactivity and antibiotics sold; opening on 9 Sep with Hong Jin-young and others; Seol Woon-do on 29 Sep; bare-hand catching and singing contest
- News Seoul 2023-09-27 — radiation test results posted at Namdang Portnews — 2023 festival 9 Sep–15 Oct; national-agency tests of wild prawns caught at Namdang Port and of whiteleg shrimp in distribution found no radiation
- News Seoul 2023-10-04 — 홍성, 남당항 추석연휴 10만명 찾았다news — More than 100,000 visitors over the 2023 Chuseok holiday (county estimate); 121,000 vehicles via Hongseong and Gwangcheon interchanges; traffic queues to Gungni Port and the Sokdong observatory
- News Seoul 2023-01-20 — 남당항 새조개·대하 축제 대표 먹거리 축제 자리매김news — About 780,000 visitors to Namdang Port in 2021; visits and card spending peak in September–October (prawn festival) and January–February (bird-clam festival); 20th bird-clam festival in January 2023
- Jeonbuk Ilbo 2023-10-05 — [신팔도명물] 홍성군 서부면 남당항 '대하'news — Festival held each September; prawns spawn in Cheonsu Bay in spring, grow fast around Chuseok and leave the bay with the cold winds; salt-grilled on sea salt, dipped in soy sauce or chojang; Anmyeondo shelters the shallow bay
- 여기유 (listing site) — 남당항other — Namdang Port open 24 hours, free parking, restroom; prawn festival in autumn and bird-clam festival in winter
- 여기유 (listing site) — 남당노을전망대other — Namdang Sunset Observatory open at all times, free parking at the entrance, red deck over the beach, Seohaerang-gil course 63
- JoongAng SUNDAY (via Daum) 2024-11-23 — Hongseong travel feature (Yongbongsan and the coast)news — Hongseong tourist taxi for up to 4 people: ₩40,000 for 4 hours, ₩60,000 for 6 hours, ₩20,000 per extra hour; booking via the county Culture and Tourism Division (041-630-1228) or the Roiku app
- News Seoul 2023-02-24 — Hongseong smart tourism taxinews — Tourist taxi for non-residents, booked at least 3 days ahead through the county Culture and Tourism Division or the Roiku app (from 2 Mar 2023)
- Sports Kyunghyang 2010-12-30 — 충남 홍성 남당포구news — Driving route: Seohaean Expressway to Hongseong IC, then Route 40 towards Namdang-ri and Anmyeondo
- Yongsan → Hongseong train timetable, 18–24 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-18)other — 15–16 trains a day (16 on 18 Oct 2026), 05:32–20:43; Mugunghwa ₩9,600, 2 h 10 m–2 h 18 m; Saemaeul and ITX-Maeum ₩14,300, 1 h 58 m–2 h 08 m; no KTX on the route
- Hongseong → Yongsan train timetable, 8–14 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-08)other — 16 departures 06:47–21:42; last 19:37 ITX-Maeum (arr 21:36), 19:43 Mugunghwa (arr 22:01), 20:43 Saemaeul (arr 22:48), 21:42 Mugunghwa (arr 23:55)
- Seoul Central City → Hongseong bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-12)other — 14 buses a day 06:40–21:40, 1 h 54 m, ₩11,100 regular / ₩16,300 deluxe
- Hongseong → Seoul Central City express bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-13)other — 14 buses a day 06:00–20:40; last 20:40 arriving 22:56; 2 h 16 m
- Hongseong Terminal intercity departures (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-13)other — Hongseong → Incheon Airport 6 a day 04:55–18:00, 2 h 34 m to T1, ₩23,200 deluxe / ₩30,200 premium
- Hongseong Terminal information (third-party mirror)other — Terminal in Goam-ri (Joyang-ro 247beon-gil 9)
- The Wiki — 홍성other — Hongseong Station relocated to Goam-ri
- 여기유 (festival listing site) — 홍성글로벌바비큐페스티벌 2026other — Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival 29 Oct–1 Nov 2026, 10:00–21:00, around Hongju-eupseong in Hongseong town
- KTO tourist data — 홍성스카이타워 (ktriptips mirror, updated 2026-05-22)kto — 65 m tower with a panoramic skywalk about 66 m around the viewing level and a rooftop deck over Cheonsu Bay; 10:00–19:00 with a 12:00–13:00 break, last entry 18:30 (to 20:30 in Jun–Aug); closed Mondays, 1 Jan, Seollal and Chuseok; ₩3,000 with ₩2,000 back as a Hongseong Sarang gift voucher; 689 Namdanghang-ro; Sokdong Observatory 26 m away
- KTO tourist data — 남당항 해양분수공원 (ktriptips mirror, updated 2026-07-03)kto — Built 2023, about 55,000 m²; music fountain to play in by day, with lasers and lighting at night; two-storey net adventure; 280 m trick-art zone; fountain 11:00–20:40, 9 sessions of about 40 minutes; closed Mondays and in winter (mid-Nov to mid-Mar); free; 171 Namdanghang-ro; festival about 191 m away
What we could not confirm
- First year held: edition numbers (28th in 2023, 31st in 2026) and '30th year' in 2025 point to about 1996, but no source states the founding year.
- No local bus times from Hongseong Station or Terminal to Namdang Port were found; taxi time and fare for the roughly 25 km ride are not documented.
- Gwangcheon Station (also on the Janghang Line and used by festival visitors) may be closer to the port than Hongseong Station; its trains and the taxi distance were not checked.
- Fee and sign-up for the weekend bare-hand prawn catching, and salt-grilled set-menu prices, were not published.
- The organizer's Naver blog (blog.naver.com/official_namdang) was not opened; details come from KTO, the ministry listing and news.
- Foreign-language names are from KTO-data mirror pages (ktriptips); the Traditional Chinese title 洪城南塘港大蝦節 was seen only in search results because the page opened on a festival index.
- Tourist taxi rates are from 2024 and booking terms from 2023; 2026 terms were not checked.
- Last train back on the festival date under the timetable in force that day (Hongseong to Yongsan), and the last express bus from Hongseong Terminal to Seoul Central City; journey times, frequencies and fares come from a third-party mirror of the national timetable feed for mid-October 2026.
- Taxi time and fare from Namdang Port to Hongseong Sky Tower (689 Namdanghang-ro) were not checked.
- The 2026 single prawn prices (₩45,000 and ₩60,000 per kg) come from an August 2026 news preview and listings; the committee's own notice was not opened.
Changes: 2026-10-18 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-18 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-20 — Bus classes corrected from the timetable: Central City–Hongseong ₩16,300 and Hongseong–Incheon Airport ₩23,200 are deluxe (우등), and the ₩30,200 airport bus is premium (프리미엄); there is no "premium-plus". · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed the October 2026 last-train, last-bus and departure times, which were not verified for the new Korail timetable of 1 November; the page now gives journey times and frequencies and says to check the last train in the Korail app. · 2026-10-22 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: no clock times in the transport text, which already says to check the last train under the new Korail timetable of 1 November; prices: none changed.
