At a glance
| Dates | 14–15 Nov 2026Upcoming · Eighth edition, according to the official poster. Dates confirmed on the organizer's site on 21 October 2026, where advance booking for the kimchi-making sessions had opened; its banner credits Jinan County (host), the Jinan YMCA (organizer) and Jeonbuk State (sponsor), with general enquiries on 063-433-6661. |
|---|---|
| Hours | Not yet published for 2026 (2025: 10:00–17:00); the 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00 times on the organizer's site are kimchi-making sessions, not opening hours |
| Admission | Entry, stage shows and contests have been free. The 'Our Family Kimjang' session is paid: a set of 20 kg of salted cabbage and 10 kg of seasoning, whose 2026 price the organizer has not published (the 2025 price is shown under the 2025 edition). Food and drink are paid.Festival admission: Free · 'Our Family Kimjang' set: 20 kg salted cabbage + 10 kg seasoning: ₩185,000 · Makgeolli, per cup: ₩1,000 (2025 prices) |
| Venue | Jinan Red Ginseng & Herb Center and Jinan Local Food store area, Jinan-eup전북특별자치도 진안군 진안읍 진무로 1166 진안홍삼약초센터 |
| Nearest station | Jinan Intercity Bus Stop (Jinan has no railway station; nearest KTX is Jeonju Station) (진안시외버스공용정류장), Intercity buses to and from Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal, plus direct buses to Seoul Express Bus Terminal and Busan SeobuIn Jinan-eup, the same town as the festival; in 2025 shuttle buses ran from the bus terminal to the grounds (community post). The walking time is not published. |
| From Seoul | about 2 h 26 min · KTX + Taxi + BusLeave from Yongsan Station · One-way fare from ₩31,600Full route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Jinan YMCA, for Jinan County진안YMCA (주최: 진안군) |
| Usual timing | Two days over a mid-November weekend, Saturday–Sunday: 15–16 November in 2025 and 14–15 November in 2026 (confirmed on the organizer's site). The dates of earlier editions were not verified. Browse November festivals. |
| Last checked | 27 October 2026Checked against 17 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Jinan is a highland county in the east of Jeonbuk State, best known for red ginseng and the twin rock peaks of Maisan. In November, when Korean households make kimjang (the season's big batch of winter kimchi), Jinan County and the Jinan YMCA hold a small festival built around making kimchi together and eating it straight away with boiled pork, the pairing Koreans call bossam. KTO's listing describes it as a Jeonbuk State regional-specialty festival rated excellent, set up to bring back the neighbourly warmth (jeong) of a shared kimjang at a time when many people live alone. The 2025 edition, the seventh according to a local community post, ran Saturday and Sunday, 15–16 November, 10:00–17:00, around the Jinan Local Food store and the Jinan Red Ginseng & Herb Center in Jinan-eup. The eighth edition is on Saturday and Sunday, 14–15 November 2026: the organizer's site has opened booking for those two days, and the official poster, as printed in K-Festival magazine's October 2026 issue, places it around the Jinan Local Food store (Jinan branch) at 1166 Jinmu-ro.
The main draw is the pre-booked 'Our Family Kimjang' session: you are given a 20 kg batch of salted cabbage and 10 kg of ready-made seasoning, work the seasoning into the leaves and take the kimchi home. The organizer has not published the 2026 set price; in 2025 there were three sessions a day and the 370 places filled early in registration; for 2026, phone booking has opened for sessions at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00 on both days. Everything else is free to watch or join: 'Show Me the Kimjang', a race to season a whole cabbage fastest and most thoroughly; the Kimchi Golden Bell quiz; a kimchi-themed arcade; a flea market; concerts of trot, 1980s–90s hits, Joseon pop and a band; and food booths with bossam-and-kimchi set meals, cheap cups of makgeolli, and rice cakes and marshmallows to grill. The 2026 poster names the kimchi-making sessions and the Kimchi Golden Bell; the rest of the 2026 programme has not been published.
Honest caveats: this is a local, family-oriented event, and no visitor figures or English-language information were found; as of 21 October 2026 the 2026 opening hours, prices and stage programme had not been published. Jinan has no railway, and direct buses to Seoul run only twice a day, so most visitors from Seoul go through Jeonju, which has buses to Jinan into the evening. The kimjang session leaves you with a heavy load of kimchi to carry. Jinan's larger festival is the Jinan Red Ginseng Festival in September (its 10th edition ran 18–20 September 2026 at Maisan).
Highlights
- 'Our Family Kimjang': a pre-booked session with 20 kg of salted cabbage and 10 kg of seasoning to mix and take home (three sessions a day; the 2026 set price is not yet published)
- 'Show Me the Kimjang': a contest to see who can season a whole cabbage fastest and most thoroughly, held on both days
- Kimchi Golden Bell quiz at 14:00 on both days in 2025
- Concerts on the stage: a Jinan Highland trot concert and a 1980s–90s autumn concert on Saturday, Joseon pop and a band on Sunday (2025 line-up)
- Food booths serving bossam-and-kimchi set meals, with cheap cups of makgeolli and zones for grilling rice cakes and marshmallows
- Kimchi-themed arcade games and a flea market running throughout
Who it suits. Best for residents of Korea and travelers with a car or kitchen who want to take part in a real kimjang, for families, and for visitors staying in Jeonju looking for a short trip into the highlands; less suited to short-stay visitors who cannot carry or store 20 kg of kimchi, and to anyone who needs English-language support, which is not documented.
Getting there
From Seoul
Jinan has no railway station. Take the KTX from Yongsan to Jeonju (about 1 h 40 m, fastest 1 h 26 m; ₩31,600 standard class on the fare table in force since 1 September 2026), a taxi or city bus to Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal, then an intercity bus to Jinan: about 30 a day run in the Jinan→Jeonju direction, from early morning into the evening, scheduled at 46 minutes, ₩5,000. The festival grounds are in Jinan-eup, the same town as the Jinan bus stop, and a shuttle ran from the terminal in 2025. A direct deluxe bus also links Seoul Express Bus Terminal (Gyeongbu–Yeongdong side) with Jinan, but only twice a day from Jinan (3 h 52 m, ₩27,500), and the Seoul-to-Jinan times were not verified. Check train times in the Korail+ app (코레일+) and bus times at the terminal before the festival day.
From Busan
A direct intercity bus links Busan Seobu (Sasang) Terminal and Jinan, but only twice a day in the Jinan→Busan direction, scheduled at 3 h 37 m, ₩30,200. Busan-to-Jinan times were not verified, so check both directions at the terminal before the festival day.
Last leg from Jinan Intercity Bus Stop (Jinan has no railway station; nearest KTX is Jeonju Station)
Intercity buses to and from Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal, plus direct buses to Seoul Express Bus Terminal and Busan Seobu. In Jinan-eup, the same town as the festival; in 2025 shuttle buses ran from the bus terminal to the grounds (community post). The walking time is not published.
Festival shuttle
In 2025 shuttle buses ran from the Jinan bus terminal to the festival area, according to a community post; times and 2026 plans were not published.
Getting home
No trains serve Jinan, and direct buses to Seoul Express Bus Terminal run only twice a day, so for an evening return go via Jeonju: an intercity bus to Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal (46 minutes; buses run into the evening), then a taxi to Jeonju Station for the KTX or ITX-Maeum to Yongsan (about 1 h 40 m by KTX). A new KTX timetable starts on 1 November 2026, and the last train and last bus for the festival dates were not verified: check the last train from Jeonju in the Korail+ app (코레일+) or at the station, and the last bus from Jinan at the terminal, before the festival day.
Parking
In 2025 visitors were directed to car parks at Jinan Sports Park and around the county office, according to a community post; no 2026 parking plan has been published.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Festival admission | Free | Free; only the kimjang session is paid |
| 'Our Family Kimjang' set: 20 kg salted cabbage + 10 kg seasoning | ₩185,000 | Pre-booked, first come, first served; 370 places in all, filled early |
| Makgeolli, per cup | ₩1,000 | From the festival's ₩1,000 makgeolli stall |
- Booking
- For 2026, phone booking has opened for the 'Our Family Kimjang' kimchi-making sessions on 14 and 15 November, at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00: decide the date, session time and number of sets, then call 063-433-6613 (organizer's site). Places are first come, first served (official poster); in 2025 all 370 filled early in registration. General festival enquiries: 063-433-6661; official site www.jinankimchi.kr. The 2026 set price, whether foreign visitors can book without a Korean phone number, and the cancellation rules are not stated.
- English on site
- No English-language festival information or programme for foreign visitors was found.
- Crowds
- No visitor figures were found. The 370 kimjang places in 2025 filled early in registration.
- Best time to go
- Saturday morning for the opening ceremony (10:45 in 2025) and the first kimjang session at 10:30; the contests, quiz and concerts run from about 12:00 to 15:00 on both days.
- What to bring
- A trolley or cool box if you book the kimjang session (you take home the kimchi made from 20 kg of cabbage), clothes you do not mind marking with chili paste, warm layers for a November day in the highlands, and cash for food booths and makgeolli.
2026 program
- Sat 14 and Sun 15 Nov'Our Family Kimjang' kimchi-making sessions (우리집 김치담그기) at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00, booked in advance by phone on 063-433-6613, first come, first served
- Kimchi Golden Bell quiz (named on the official poster; time not published)
Eighth edition, according to the official poster. Dates confirmed on the organizer's site on 21 October 2026, where advance booking for the kimchi-making sessions had opened; its banner credits Jinan County (host), the Jinan YMCA (organizer) and Jeonbuk State (sponsor), with general enquiries on 063-433-6661.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 14–15 Nov 2026 | confirmed | Around the Jinan Local Food Direct Market (Jinan branch), 1166 Jinmu-ro, Jinan-eup, according to the official 2026 poster printed in K-Festival magazine (October 2026 issue, page 98); the organizer's own site does not state the venue. The 2025 edition used the same area, around the Jinan Red Ginseng & Herb Center. |
| 2025 | 15–16 Nov 2025 | ended | Around the Jinan Local Food store (Jinan branch) and the Jinan Red Ginseng & Herb Center at 1166 Jinmu-ro, Jinan-eup; a community post places it around the red ginseng shopping centre in the town centre. Shuttle buses ran from the Jinan bus terminal, with parking at Jinan Sports Park and around the county office. |
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.
Two sheer rock peaks, Amaibong (687 m) and Sumaibong (681 m), named for their horse-ear shape; the park around them holds Tapsa, a temple with about 80 stone towers, and the shortest trail to the Amaibong summit starts from the northern car park. Go in the morning and be back for a 13:00 or 15:00 kimjang session or the afternoon programme: the park is open all year, but entry can be stopped in bad weather. Tip: Tapsa's stone towers charge a separate fee (adults ₩3,000).
Getting there: Taxi from the festival area to the northern car park on Maisan-ro, also in Jinan-eup; ride time and fare not published
Jinan-eup's permanent town market, selling local ginseng, dried chili, medicinal herbs and farm produce, with a five-day market on dates ending in 4 and 9; Saturday 14 November, the festival's first day, is a market day. Shops keep their own hours, so go in the late morning or around lunch, between kimjang sessions. Tip: shop before your session, since afterwards you will be carrying the kimchi.
Getting there: In central Jinan-eup, like the festival grounds; on foot or a short taxi ride (walking time not published)
Questions travelers ask
When is the Jinan Highland Kimchi Bossam Festival 2026?
Saturday–Sunday 14–15 November 2026, confirmed on the organizer's site, www.jinankimchi.kr; the official poster places it around the Jinan Local Food store (Jinan branch) in Jinan-eup. Opening hours have not been published (10:00–17:00 in 2025); the 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00 times on the site are kimchi-making sessions, not opening hours.
Is the festival free?
Entry, concerts and contests have been free. The 'Our Family Kimjang' session is paid, and the organizer has not published its 2026 price (the 2025 price is shown under the 2025 edition); food and drink are paid.
What does 'kimchi bossam' mean?
Bossam is boiled pork eaten wrapped with freshly made kimchi, the traditional reward at the end of a day of kimjang. The festival's food booths sold bossam-and-kimchi set meals in 2025.
Can I make my own kimchi at the festival?
Yes, by booking the 'Our Family Kimjang' session. For 2026, booking has opened by phone on 063-433-6613 for sessions at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00 on 14 and 15 November; decide the date, time and number of sets before you call. Each set has been 20 kg of salted cabbage and 10 kg of seasoning, and in 2025 all 370 places went early; the organizer has not published the 2026 price.
How do I get to Jinan from Seoul?
KTX from Yongsan to Jeonju (about 1 h 40 m, ₩31,600), then a taxi or city bus to Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal and a 46-minute bus to Jinan (₩5,000). A direct deluxe bus runs between Seoul Express Bus Terminal and Jinan, but only twice a day from Jinan, so check the return time at the terminal.
What else is on the programme?
In 2025: 'Show Me the Kimjang' (a race to season a whole cabbage), the Kimchi Golden Bell quiz, trot, 1980s–90s, Joseon pop and band concerts, a cocktail-making event, a kimchi arcade, a flea market, and rice-cake and marshmallow grilling zones. The 2026 poster names the kimchi-making sessions and the Kimchi Golden Bell; the full 2026 programme has not been published.
Who runs the festival?
Jinan County hosts it and the Jinan YMCA organises it, with Jeonbuk State as sponsor (2026 site banner). KTO's listing describes it as a Jeonbuk State regional-specialty festival rated excellent.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
27 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: low.
- 진안고원 김치보쌈축제 official site (Jinan YMCA) — home page with the 2026 pop-up and bannerofficial — Pop-up '2026 김치보쌈축제': advance booking open for '우리집 김치담그기' on 11.14 (Sat) and 11.15 (Sun), sessions 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00; booking and enquiries 063-433-6613 (decide date, time and number of sets before calling). Banner: host Jinan County, organizer Jinan YMCA, sponsor Jeonbuk State; enquiries 063-433-6661
- KTO tourist data (mirror) — 진안고원 김치보쌈축제 2025other — Data received from KTO's public data API: 2025 dates 15–16 Nov (Sat–Sun), hours 10:00–17:00, free with paid kimjang session ₩185,000 (20 kg cabbage + 10 kg seasoning, 3 a day: 10:30/13:00/15:00), venue, address 진무로 1166, host Jinan County, organizer Jinan YMCA, tel 063-433-6613, www.jinankimchi.kr, coordinates 35.7948/127.4343, programme times, ₩1,000 makgeolli
- Fanmaum community post (2025-11-28) — 진안고원 김치보쌈축제blog — Seventh edition in 2025, Saturday–Sunday; around the red ginseng shopping centre in Jinan-eup; shuttles from Jinan bus terminal; parking at Jinan Sports Park and county office; sessions 10:30/12:30/14:30; 370 places filled early; free entry; ₩1,000 makgeolli; bossam-kimchi set meals; mascot
- Jinan intercity bus departures (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-12)other — Jinan→Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal 31 buses a day, 07:10–21:30 (incl. 19:40, 20:00, 20:20, 20:40), 46 min, ₩5,000; Jinan→Busan Seobu Sasang 09:00 and 15:45, 3 h 37 m, ₩30,200; Jinan→Seoul Express Bus Terminal 10:30 and 14:35, ₩27,500 deluxe
- Jinan → Seoul Express Bus Terminal (Gyeongbu–Yeongdong) timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-12)other — Two deluxe buses a day: 10:30 (arr 14:22) and 14:35 (arr 18:27); 3 h 52 m; ₩27,500
- train.asamaru.net — 용산역→전주역 timetableother — KTX times (about 1 h 40 m, fastest 1 h 26 m), ₩31,600 fare, first/last departures
- train.asamaru.net — 전주역→용산역 timetableother — Last departures 21:04 (ITX-Maeum, 3 h 27 m), 21:43 (KTX-Sancheon, arr 23:26), 23:11 (arr 00:44)
- Korail KTX fare table, effective 1 Sep 2026 (xls)official — Standard class: Yongsan–Jeonju ₩31,600 / ₩31,000
- Hankyung: 9월 1일부터 서울~부산 KTX 5만4400원…운임 평균 10% 인하 (31 Aug 2026)news — KTX and SRT run as KTX from 1 Sep; former SRT trainsets renamed KTX-Sancheon; fares cut; booking unified in Korail+
- Korail — 열차운임/시간표 (official timetable and fare downloads)official — Index of current Korail timetables, including KTX timetable editions of 15 May 2026 and 1 Nov 2026
- Jeonbuk Ilbo 2026-02-23 — 다음달 1일부터 무주·진안·장수 시외버스 운행 중단되나news — Jeonbuk Express and Jeonbuk Passenger filed to abolish or suspend loss-making intercity routes serving Jinan, Muju and Jangsu from 1 Mar 2026; fleet down from 42 to 25 buses; province in talks
- Seoul Shinmun 2026-09-11 — 만들고 맛보고 즐기는 '진안홍삼'… 진한 가을 매력 속으로news — 10th Jinan Red Ginseng Festival 18–20 Sep 2026 in the northern Maisan area; night market at Jinan Goewon Market from 17 Sep
- telltrip — 진안홍삼스파 2026년 6월 재개장 (마이산)blog — Spa closed for renovation from 12 May 2025, reopening expected June 2026; rooftop aqua zone with Maisan views; 10–15 minutes on foot to northern Maisan; Amaisan and Sumaisan peaks; Tapsa stone towers, trails and waterside eco park
- KTO tourist data (ktriptips mirror) — 마이산도립공원kto — Amaibong 687.4 m and Sumaibong 681.1 m; open all year, entry may be stopped in bad weather; Tapsa with about 80 stone towers near Eunsusa, separate viewing fee adult ₩3,000; northern and southern car parks; address 진안읍 마이산로 130; homepage www.jinan.go.kr/maisan
- Jeonbuk Ilbo 2019-07-19 — [전북의 재발견] 마이산 트레킹news — The shortest route to the Maisan summit (Amaibong) starts from the northern car park
- KTO tourist data (ktriptips mirror) — 진안장 / 진안시장 (4, 9일)kto — Permanent market since February 2010 with a five-day market on the 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th and 29th; ginseng, chili, medicinal herbs, farm produce; hours vary by shop; address 진안읍 시장1길 16; homepage on Jinan County tourism site
- Jeonbuk Ilbo 2026-07-15 — 마이산 북부 야외족욕장 개장news — Outdoor foot bath at Mai Rural Theme Park north of Maisan opened 10 Jul 2026, Thu–Sun 11:00–17:00, until 8 Nov (closed before the festival); no confirmation found that Jinan Red Ginseng Spa has reopened
What we could not confirm
- 2026 venue: given only on the official poster as printed in K-Festival magazine (October 2026, page 98), not on the organizer's site; the 2026 opening hours, set price, stage programme, shuttle and parking had not been published as of 21 Oct 2026.
- The festival is not in the site's KTO TourAPI snapshot (listed.json), so no KTO contentId was found.
- The first year and the dates of the 2023 and 2024 editions were not verified; the official 2026 poster calls it the eighth edition, matching a community post's count of seven in 2025.
- Whether foreign visitors can book the kimchi-making session by phone (063-433-6613) without speaking Korean or having a Korean phone number, and the cancellation rules.
- Visitor numbers, the bossam set-meal price and other food prices (only the ₩1,000 makgeolli was found).
- Japanese and Chinese names: no KTO or official foreign-language name was found.
- Bus times were found only for buses leaving Jinan (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed); Jeonju→Jinan and Seoul→Jinan times and the taxi time between Jeonju Station and Jeonju Intercity Bus Terminal were not verified. Operators filed in February 2026 to suspend loss-making routes serving Jinan, though the October 2026 timetable still lists them.
- Last train back on the festival date under the timetable in force that day: the last Jeonju→Yongsan train and the last Jinan→Jeonju bus on 14–15 Nov 2026 (the 1 Nov 2026 KTX timetable could not be read here, and bus times were found only on a third-party mirror).
- 2025 shuttle and parking details come from a community post only; the walking time from the Jinan bus stop to the grounds is not published.
- Before or after the festival: taxi time and fare from the festival grounds to Maisan's northern car park, and the walking time to Jinan Goewon Market, were not published in the sources opened; the Jinan County pages for Maisan and the market (jinan.go.kr) could not be opened from here.
- Whether Jinan Red Ginseng Spa reopened in 2026 after its renovation (expected June 2026 in a blog) was not confirmed; it was dropped from the page.
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 class corrected from the timetable: the fare listed as premium is deluxe (우등). · 2026-10-21 — 2026 dates confirmed on the organizer's site: 14–15 November 2026 (Saturday–Sunday), with phone booking (063-433-6613) open for the kimchi-making sessions at 10:30, 13:00 and 15:00. Venue from the official poster printed in K-Festival magazine (October 2026): around the Jinan Local Food store, 1166 Jinmu-ro. Opening hours and prices not yet published. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed unverified last-train and bus clock times (October 2026 timetable and a third-party bus mirror) for the November dates; kept journey times and frequencies and added advice to check the last train in the Korail app (코레일+) and the last bus at the terminal. · 2026-10-27 — Transport check: no Korail (1 Nov 2026 timetable), bus-operator or organizer transport notice for 14–15 Nov 2026 could be checked, so no clock times added; app name corrected to Korail+ (코레일+). · 2026-10-29 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: no train, bus or shuttle clock times in the text, last train and last bus for 14–15 Nov still unverified (open question kept); prices: 2025 kimjang-set and makgeolli amounts removed from forward-looking text (2026 prices not yet published by the organizer).
