| Dates | 31 Dec – 1 Jan 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 31 Dec 20:00–1 Jan 00:30; 1 Jan 06:00–08:00 (KTO listing); sunrise 07:39 at Jeongdongjin (KASI) |
| Weather | December average 8/0 °C (46/31 °F), 37 mm of rain January average 5/−3 °C (42/27 °F), 48 mm of rainMonthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Gangneung station, about 15 km away. |
| Venue | Jeongdongjin Sandglass Park and beach (beside Jeongdongjin Station)강원특별자치도 강릉시 강동면 정동역길 17 (정동진역 일원) |
| Admission | General admission: Free |
| Previous edition | 2024: 31 Dec – 1 Jan 2025 |
| Next edition | 2026: Evening of Thursday 31 December 2026 to the sunrise on Friday 1 January 2027. The event is tied to the calendar (programme on New Year's Eve, hourglass rotation at midnight, sunrise session on 1 January), but Gangneung City had not announced a 2026–27 programme as of 19 October 2026; KTO's listing for 2025–26 was last updated on 24 December 2025. |
Program
- 31 Decsunset event on the Gyeongpo and Jeongdongjin beaches
- 31 Dec 20:00–1 Jan 00:30stage performances, traditional-game booths, wish tree, New Year countdown and fireworks at Sandglass Park (a parallel programme ran at Gyeongpo Beach)
- Midnightrotation of the Sandglass (YTN counted it as the 25th)
- 1 Jan 06:00–08:00sunrise session; sunrise at 07:39
- Red-horse outdoor photo zone for the Year of the Horse (at Gyeongpo it stayed until 5 January)
Prices
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| General admission | Free | Free (KTO listing) |
Notes on the 2025 edition
Billed as 병오년 해맞이 행사 (Year of the Red Horse sunrise event). About 300,000 sunrise visitors across Gangneung on 1 January 2026 (Gyeongpo 130,000, Jeongdongjin 110,000, Anmok and other spots 60,000), about 19% more than a year earlier; 38 police officers at 15 sites such as breakwaters and lookouts, coast guard boats off Jeongdongjin, extra temporary toilets.
About the festival
The Jeongdongjin New Year Sunrise Festival is Gangneung City's free New Year's Eve and first-sunrise event at Sandglass Park beside Jeongdongjin Station on Korea's east coast, where an 8 m hourglass is turned over at midnight. In 2025–26 it ran 20:00–00:30 on 31 December and 06:00–08:00 on 1 January, with sunrise at 07:39; the 2026–27 edition is expected on the night of 31 December 2026 but had not been announced by 19 October 2026. Jeongdongjin is about 2 h 10 m from Seoul Station by KTX-Eum (₩28,300), but in the timetables checked no regular train arrived before sunrise, so arrive on the 31st or take a special New Year train.
Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Jeongdongjin New Year Sunrise Festival page, which covers every edition.
Source
Facts checked
21 October 2026, against the sources listed below.