At a glance
| Dates | 5 Sep – 31 Oct 2026Happening now · First year: no earlier run was found. Hosted by Suwon Special City and run by the Suwon Urban Foundation. KTO lists only season 2 (10–31 October, four Saturdays); season 1 ran on 5 and 19 September. No visitor figures were published. |
|---|---|
| Hours | Saturdays only. Season 1: 5 and 19 September, 18:00–22:00 (held). Season 2: 10, 17, 24 and 31 October, 17:00–22:00 (10 and 17 October held by 19 October). |
| Weather | September average 26/17 °C (80/63 °F), 134 mm of rain October average 20/9 °C (69/49 °F), 54 mm of rainMild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark. Monthly averages, not a forecast: Korea Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991–2020, Suwon station. |
| Admission | Free entry. Food and flea-market goods are paid; prices were not published.Entry: Free |
| Venue | Paldalmun Customer Support Center plaza and Jidong Bridge, Suwon Nammun Market경기도 수원시 팔달구 팔달문로 9 (팔달로2가) |
| Nearest station | Suwon Station (수원역), Line 1 / Suin-Bundang Line / KTX, Exit 4 (Novotel bus stop)Not a short walk: take bus 11 from the Novotel stop at Exit 4 to the Paldalmun stop, about 9 minutes; the walk from the stop to the plaza is short but its time was not documented |
| From Seoul | about 1 h 10 min · Subway + BusLeave from Seoul Station · Back to Seoul the same nightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Suwon Special City, run by the Suwon Urban Foundation수원특례시 (주최) · 수원도시재단 (주관) |
| Usual timing | Saturday evenings in short seasons, first held in 2026: season 1 on 5 and 19 September (18:00–22:00) and season 2 on four Saturdays, 10–31 October (17:00–22:00). With only one year so far there is no pattern yet. Browse September / October festivals. |
| First held | 2026 |
| Last checked | 27 October 2026Checked against 14 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Bulchwimugwi (不醉無歸) means roughly "no going home until you are drunk". The phrase is credited to King Jeongjo, who is said to have used it to cheer on the workers building Hwaseong Fortress, and it stands for his wish for a world prosperous enough for ordinary people to drink their fill; a statue of Jeongjo known by the phrase stands near Paldalmun Market. In 2026 Suwon borrowed it for a "King's Night Market" in the Nammun Market district, the group of nine connected traditional markets outside Paldalmun, the fortress's south gate. The city hosts it and the Suwon Urban Foundation runs it.
The market runs on Saturday evenings only, in short seasons. Season 1 was on 5 and 19 September 2026, 18:00–22:00. Season 2, the run KTO lists, is on four Saturdays, 10, 17, 24 and 31 October, 17:00–22:00, and spreads from the plaza by the Paldalmun Customer Support Center and the Jidong Bridge area into the car-free street and the market arcade. Market merchants cook in the "Nammun Jangteo" food zone, there is an outdoor dining yard called "Yajang Madang", plus food trucks and a flea market, and the stage has busking and DJ sets. A game-style mission sends you round the alleys completing tasks to climb the Joseon social ladder. Each night has its own theme: "The King Is Coming" on 10 October, a DJ party on 17 October, Sundae Day on 24 October and Joseon Ghost Day on 31 October.
The setting is much of the appeal. Jidong Market next door has an alley of about 20 sundae (Korean blood sausage) restaurants, Paldalmun Market has Suwon's fried-chicken street, and Hwaseong Haenggung palace, about 600 m away, opens after dark on Friday to Sunday until 1 November 2026. The night market is a reason to stay on after an afternoon on the fortress walls.
The caveats: this is a small, new local event rather than a big festival; only two Saturdays are left in 2026 after 19 October; menus, prices and payment methods were not published; no English information was found; and nothing has been announced about a third season or a 2027 market.
Highlights
- Food from Nammun Market's own merchants in the "Nammun Jangteo" zone, an outdoor dining yard ("Yajang Madang") and food trucks
- A different theme each Saturday in season 2: The King Is Coming (10 Oct), DJ party (17 Oct), Sundae Day (24 Oct) and Joseon Ghost Day (31 Oct)
- A game-style mission round the market alleys in which you complete tasks to raise your Joseon-era social rank
- Season 2 spreads into the car-free street and the market arcade, with a flea market, busking and DJ sets
- Right below Paldalmun, the south gate of Hwaseong Fortress, next to the Jidong Market sundae alley (about 20 restaurants) and Suwon's fried-chicken street
- Free entry and no booking, 17:00–22:00 on Saturdays
Who it suits. Best for food-minded travellers and anyone visiting Hwaseong Fortress on a Saturday who wants a free evening of market food, small stage shows and browsing; less suited to anyone looking for a large festival or English-language programming, or to visitors who are in Suwon only on weekdays.
Getting there
From Seoul
Seoul Subway Line 1 from Seoul Station to Suwon Station takes 53–68 minutes in Korail's weekday and holiday timetables from 1 September 2026; from Gangnam, the Suin-Bundang Line runs from Seolleung to Suwon Station in about 65–75 minutes (weekday timetable). KTX, ITX-Saemaeul and Mugunghwa trains also stop at Suwon. From the Novotel stop at Exit 4, bus 11 reaches the Paldalmun stop in about 9 minutes, and the market is around the plaza by Paldalmun and the Jidong Bridge. Allow about 70 minutes from Seoul Station in all.
From Busan
KTX, ITX-Saemaeul or Mugunghwa on the Gyeongbu Line to Suwon Station, then bus 11 from the Novotel stop at Exit 4 to the Paldalmun stop.
From Incheon Airport
An airport bus to Suwon, or AREX to Seoul Station and Line 1 to Suwon Station, then bus 11 from Exit 4 to the Paldalmun stop.
Last leg from Suwon Station
Line 1 / Suin-Bundang Line / KTX, Exit 4 (Novotel bus stop). Not a short walk: take bus 11 from the Novotel stop at Exit 4 to the Paldalmun stop, about 9 minutes; the walk from the stop to the plaza is short but its time was not documented
Festival shuttle
No shuttle bus was announced for the market.
Getting home
The market closes at 22:00. Take bus 11 back to Suwon Station and Line 1 toward Seoul (53–68 minutes to Seoul Station). Saturday last-train times from Suwon were not checked for this record, so confirm them in a transit app before you go.
Parking
No parking information was published. The market uses the car-free street by Paldalmun and the market arcade, so coming by bus is simpler.
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 | |
| Food and flea-market goods | — | Paid; menus and prices were not published |
- Booking
- No booking or registration; in September the market was open to everyone, not only Suwon residents. KTO lists 031-8001-1101 for enquiries.
- English on site
- No English information about the market was found.
- Crowds
- No visitor figures have been published; 2026 is the market's first year.
- Best time to go
- Spend the afternoon on Hwaseong Fortress and walk down to Paldalmun around dusk, when the market opens at 17:00. Saturday 24 October (Sundae Day) suits a visit to the Jidong Market sundae alley; Saturday 31 October is Joseon Ghost Day.
- What to bring
- Money for the food stalls (accepted payment methods were not published) and a warm layer, as the dining yard is outdoors on an October evening.
2026 program
- Season 1, Sat 5 and Sat 19 Sep (held): food from market merchants, a flea market, busking and stage shows, a seating area, and role-play games such as hunting for hidden talismans; on 5 Sep it ran alongside the K-pop festival Rakseongyeon
- Season 2, Sat 10 Oct (held)"The King Is Coming" night (KTO also calls it "Return of the King")
- Sat 17 Oct (held)DJ party night
- Sat 24 OctSundae Day (sundae is Korean blood sausage)
- Sat 31 OctJoseon Ghost Day
- Every Saturday in season 2the Nammun Jangteo food zone run by market merchants, the Yajang Madang outdoor dining yard, food trucks, a flea market, busking and DJ sets, citizen-participation events, and a mission game round the market in which you raise your social rank
First year: no earlier run was found. Hosted by Suwon Special City and run by the Suwon Urban Foundation. KTO lists only season 2 (10–31 October, four Saturdays); season 1 ran on 5 and 19 September. No visitor figures were published.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Not announced as of 19 October 2026. 2026 is the first year (season 1 on two Saturdays in September, season 2 on four Saturdays in October), so whether the market returns, and when, is not yet known. | tba | |
| 2026 | 5 Sep – 31 Oct 2026 | confirmed | The plaza by the Paldalmun Customer Support Center and the Jidong Bridge area in Suwon Nammun Market; in season 2 the market also uses the car-free street and the market arcade. |
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.
King Jeongjo's detached palace at the centre of Hwaseong Fortress, kept open after dark for the 2026 'Dalbit Hwadam' night opening, with lit courtyards and 3D hologram and laser media art. On Saturday 31 October it is open 18:00–21:30 (tickets and last entry 21:00), so walk up at dusk and come back down to the market, which runs until 22:00. Night tickets are ₩2,000 for adults; free in hanbok and for children 6 and under.
Getting there: On foot, about 600 m in a straight line from the market plaza to Haenggung Square; walking time not documented
- Jidong Market Sundae Town (지동시장 순대타운)Before or after
An alley of about 20 sundae (Korean blood sausage) restaurants on the first floor of Jidong Market, next to the night-market plaza: a sit-down sundae meal instead of the stalls. Restaurant hours were not published and vary by shop, so go early in the evening rather than counting on it after the market closes at 22:00.
Getting there: About 80 m on foot (KTO data)
- Suwon Chicken Street (팔달문시장 통닭거리)Before or after
Suwon's fried-chicken street: a row of chicken restaurants in Paldalmun Market, starting near Maehyanggyo bridge. Opening hours were not published; if you plan a late meal after the market closes at 22:00, check that the restaurant is still seating and keep the way back in mind (bus 11 to Suwon Station, then Line 1).
Getting there: On foot; KTO lists a fried-chicken restaurant about 220 m from the market plaza
Questions travelers ask
When is the Bulchwimugwi Night Market in 2026?
Season 2 runs on four Saturdays, 10, 17, 24 and 31 October 2026, 17:00–22:00, around the Paldalmun Customer Support Center plaza and the Jidong Bridge in Suwon Nammun Market. After 19 October the nights left are 24 and 31 October. Season 1 ran on 5 and 19 September, 18:00–22:00.
Is it free?
Yes. Entry is free and there is no booking or registration. You pay for food and flea-market goods; prices were not published.
What is on each night?
Every Saturday has the Nammun Jangteo food zone run by market merchants, the Yajang Madang outdoor dining yard, food trucks, a flea market, busking and DJ sets, and a mission game round the market. The themes are The King Is Coming (10 Oct), a DJ party (17 Oct), Sundae Day (24 Oct) and Joseon Ghost Day (31 Oct).
How do I get there from Seoul?
Take Line 1 from Seoul Station to Suwon Station (53–68 minutes), then bus 11 from the Novotel stop at Exit 4 to the Paldalmun stop, about 9 minutes. From Gangnam, the Suin-Bundang Line reaches Suwon Station from Seolleung in about 65–75 minutes on weekdays.
What does Bulchwimugwi mean?
不醉無歸 means roughly "no going home until you are drunk". King Jeongjo is said to have used the phrase to encourage the workers who built Hwaseong Fortress, as a wish for a world prosperous enough for ordinary people to drink their fill.
Will there be a season 3 or a 2027 market?
Nothing had been announced as of 19 October 2026. 2026 is the market's first year, with two seasons so far (September and October), so whether and when it returns is not yet known.
What else can I do nearby in the evening?
The Jidong Market sundae alley and Suwon's fried-chicken street at Paldalmun Market are within a few hundred metres. Hwaseong Haenggung palace, about 600 m away, opens after dark on Friday to Sunday until 1 November 2026, so it is open on both remaining market Saturdays.
What is the weather like during Bulchwimugwi Night Market?
September in Suwon: average high 26 °C (80 °F), low 17 °C (63 °F), 134 mm of rain (Suwon station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). October in Suwon: average high 20 °C (69 °F), low 9 °C (49 °F), 54 mm of rain (Suwon station, KMA 1991–2020 normals). Mild days, cold evenings: a jacket for after dark.
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: medium.
- KTO TourAPI listing 불취무귀야시장 시즌2 (contentId 4099101)kto — Season 2 every Saturday 10–31 Oct 2026, four times, 17:00–22:00, free; venue and address 팔달문로 9; coordinates 37.2778/127.0185 (about 600 m in a straight line from Haenggung Square, 37.2819/127.0144); host 수원특례시; phone 031-8001-1101; homepage sscf2016.or.kr; car-free street and arcade added; Nammun Jangteo, Yajang Madang, food trucks; social-rank mission game; themed nights; Jeongjo phrase
- KTO tourist data — 왕의 야시장 「불취무귀」 (ktriptips mirror)kto — Title 왕의 야시장 「불취무귀」; 10–31 Oct 2026 every Saturday (4 times), 17:00–22:00, free; venue 팔달문로 9; Nammun Jangteo merchants food zone, Yajang Madang outdoor dining yard, food trucks, flea market, busking and DJing, rank-up mission; 31 Oct Joseon Ghost Day; Jidong Market 80 m, Yeongdong Market 106 m, a fried-chicken restaurant (진미통닭) 220 m
- 여기유 — 수원남문시장 「불취무귀」 야시장 (season 1 listing)other — Season 1 on Sat 5 Sep and Sat 19 Sep 2026, 18:00–22:00, same venue and address, free; organizers 수원특례시 and 수원도시재단; phone 070-7575-2352; food, participatory events, stage, flea market and busking; linked with 락성연 on 5 Sep; role-play activities such as hidden-talisman hunts
- Nate Travel — 왕의 야시장 불취무귀 (September 2026)news — Only two dates in September 2026, Saturdays 5 and 19 Sep, 18:00–22:00; merchants food zone, flea market, shows, seating; no booking, open to all, not only Suwon residents; K-pop festival 락성연 on 5 Sep; 不醉無歸 as Jeongjo words to the Hwaseong builders, wish for a prosperous world; Jeongjo statue near Paldalmun Market; Hwaseong in the afternoon, market at dusk
- Suwon Special City (Visit Suwon) — 9색 전통시장 코스municipal — Paldalmun Market chicken street from Maehyanggyo; Yeongdong Market hanbok and textiles, about 200 years old, 28 Youth Mall (28 shops) on the second floor; Jidong Market sundae town of about 20 restaurants on the first floor; Paldalmun is Hwaseong's south gate; Hwaseong Haenggung 09:00–18:00, night opening Fri–Sun and holidays 1 May–1 Nov 2026
- Kyeonggi Ilbo — Suwon Nammun Market feature (26 Jul 2017)news — Suwon Nammun Market made up of nine connected markets; car-free street beside Paldalmun and the Jidong Bridge plaza used for evening food trucks in 2017
- KTO VisitKorea (EN) — Suwon Hwaseong Festivalkto — 2026 dates 4–11 Oct, hours 12:00–21:00, free with program fees, organizers, phone, program names
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 수원화성문화제kto — Coordinates 37.2819/127.0144, procession on Sunday 4 Oct 2026, no food booths, Global Village lounge, nearby museum
- Korail — 1호선 전동열차 휴일 시각표 (2026.9.1.부터), xlsxofficial — Holiday Line 1 times confirm the weekday figures (Seoul Station–Suwon 53–68 min, Seoul Station–Bupyeong 46 min)
- Korail — 수인분당선 전동열차 시각표 (2026.8.22.부터), xlsxofficial — Weekday Suin-Bundang Line Seolleung to Suwon Station (labelled '신수원' in the file, between 매교 and 고색): 74–75 min on most trains, 65–66 min on a few
- Gyeonggi Bus Information (GBIS) — 경로검색 수원역[수도권1호선] → 팔달구청.화성행궁.수원성지municipal — Bus 13 from 수원역4번출구.노보텔수원 (03015), six stops to 팔달구청.화성행궁.수원성지 (03050), about 10 min / 3.10 km (Tmap-based estimate); bus 11 option about 9 min to 팔달문 stop
- Official — 오시는길official — Suwon Station exits and bus numbers, Seoul shuttle routes and dates via Trip.com, road closure sections, airport routes, venue addresses
- Suwon City — 화성행궁 관람안내 (Visit Suwon)municipal — Haenggung night opening 1 May–1 Nov 2026, Fri–Sun and holidays, 18:00–21:30, tickets and entry until 21:00; night fares adult ₩2,000; free for visitors in hanbok and children 6 and under
- Reportera — 해 질 무렵 시작되는 밤의 여행 (Suwon Hwaseong night tour, 27 Aug 2026)news — Hwaseong Fortress open at all hours, free; Banghwasuryujeong and the Yongyeon pond: wall, pavilion and pond in one view, changing once the lights come on after dark; Haenggung night opening 1 May–1 Nov 2026, Fri–Sun and holidays 18:00–21:30, last entry 21:00, ₩2,000/₩1,500/₩1,000; 3D hologram and laser content
What we could not confirm
- Whether the market ran before 2026: no earlier run was found, but the Metro Seoul article of 6 Sep 2026 (metroseoul.co.kr/article/20260906500116) could not be opened (server error) and the Suwon Urban Foundation's own notices on sscf2016.or.kr were not opened; firstHeld 2026 rests on season 1 (5 and 19 Sep 2026) being the earliest dated run found
- Whether a season 3 or a 2027 market is planned: nothing announced as of 19 October 2026
- Food menus, prices and accepted payment methods (cards, Suwon local currency) were not published
- Official English, Japanese and Chinese names not found; "Bulchwimugwi Night Market" is our romanization (the slug uses the spelling "buchwimugwi"), and "Suwon Urban Foundation" is our translation of 수원도시재단
- Stage times and mission-game details for 24 and 31 October were not published on the pages opened
- Saturday last-train times on Line 1 and the Suin-Bundang Line from Suwon Station toward Seoul were not checked (a third-party timetable page could not be opened)
- Walking time from the Paldalmun bus stop to the plaza, and whether Maegyo Station on the Suin-Bundang Line is a practical walk, were not documented
- Rain plan, accessibility, restrooms and pet rules were not published
- Visitor numbers for season 1 were not published
- The two listings give different phone numbers: 031-8001-1101 (KTO, season 2) and 070-7575-2352 (season 1 listing)
- Saturday-evening opening hours of the Jidong Market sundae restaurants and the Paldalmun Market chicken street were not found (one search, 27 Oct 2026); walking time from the market plaza to Hwaseong Haenggung was not documented.
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 Paldalmun Gate at night, next to the market (oreum, CC BY-SA 3.0). · 2026-10-27 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: no train, bus or shuttle clock times in the record, so nothing to verify or remove (Saturday last Line 1 train from Suwon still not checked); prices: unchanged (entry free; season 2 dates, hours and free entry rechecked in KTO data).
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