Food & drinkYanggu, Gangwon State

Yanggu Punchbowl Siraegi Apple Festival in Yanggu, Gangwon State, South Korea

청춘양구 펀치볼 시래기사과축제 · Cheongchun Yanggu Peonchibol Siraegi Sagwa Chukje

Nov2026
6 –8
Fri–Sun 10:00–17:00
UpcomingStarts in 6 days

6–8 Nov 2026 · 10:00–17:00

The Yanggu Punchbowl Siraegi Apple Festival (청춘양구 펀치볼 시래기사과축제) is a free three-day harvest fair for the dried radish greens (siraegi) and highland apples of the Haean basin, the 'Punchbowl', a farming valley on the edge of the DMZ in Yanggu, Gangwon State. The 2026 edition runs Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, 10:00–17:00, in front of the Punchbowl Healing House in Haean-myeon. From Seoul, buses from Dong Seoul Terminal reach Yanggu in 1 h 44 m–2 h 19 m (₩16,700–21,800), then it is a county bus or taxi ride over the Dolsanryeong pass. The festival itself needs no ticket, but the DMZ observatory tours that start next door require photo ID.

Not yet confirmed for the 2026 edition: opening hours or show times, prices, shuttle buses, road closures or parking, the programme or line-up. Check the organizer's page before you go.

At a glance

Dates6–8 Nov 2026Upcoming · Organized by the Yanggu Culture Foundation (contact 033-482-9174). KTO's overview calls it the 2026 Cheongchun Yanggu Punchbowl Apple-Siraegi Festival (사과시래기축제), putting apples first. Listings note that the schedule may change; no timetable or line-up had been published as of 19 October 2026.
Hours10:00–17:00
AdmissionFree entry (KTO 2026 listing); food, farm produce and some hands-on programmes are paid, at prices not yet published.Entry: Free
VenueSeonghwangji area in front of the Punchbowl Healing House, Haean-myeon강원특별자치도 양구군 해안면 해안서화로 15
Nearest stationNo rail access; see Getting there
From Seoulabout 1 h 44 min · Bus + TaxiLeave from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal · One-way fare from ₩16,700Full route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul
OrganizerYanggu Culture Foundation, for Yanggu County (with the Punchbowl Siraegi Producers' Council)재단법인 양구문화재단 · 펀치볼시래기생산자협의회
Usual timingThree days, Friday to Sunday, around the turn of October and November: 1–3 Nov 2024, 31 Oct–2 Nov 2025 and 6–8 Nov 2026. Earlier editions ran two days in late October (29–30 Oct 2016, 27–28 Oct 2018), and the 2014 festival was held in December. Yanggu County publishes its festival calendar in February, but the date can move: 2024 was announced for 26–27 October and held 1–3 November. Browse October / November festivals.
Last checked21 October 2026Checked against 28 sources · See sources

What it is like

The Haean basin in northern Yanggu is a round farming valley 400–500 m above sea level, ringed by mountains over 1,100 m high. UN forces nicknamed it the Punchbowl during the Korean War, and its northern edge runs up to the DMZ. Today it is known in Korea for siraegi: the leaves of radishes grown for their greens, dried outdoors through the freeze-thaw of winter and cooked in soups, rice dishes and stews. A radish variety bred for siraegi has been grown here since 2007, and by 2015 Yanggu farms had about 480 ha of it. The basin's cool nights have also turned it into an apple-growing area as the climate warms, and in 2022 apples joined the festival, which had been the DMZ Punchbowl Siraegi Festival since at least 2014.

It is a village harvest fair rather than a big show. The 2026 edition, under the theme 'Fall for Punchbowl' (펀치볼에 빠지다), runs Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, 10:00–17:00, on the grounds in front of the Punchbowl Healing House, organized by the Yanggu Culture Foundation. Entry is free. Expect a sales zone where growers sell siraegi and apples, a food-experience zone where rural experience villages help you make siraegi triangle gimbap or apple snacks, local restaurants serving siraegi soup with rice and siraegi pork bowls, children's crafts, and a main stage with concerts and singing contests. New this year are apple and siraegi mascot characters for photo zones and goods. The detailed timetable had not been published by 19 October 2026.

Visiting near the DMZ: the festival grounds are in a civilian farming township of about 1,200 residents, reached on public roads and county buses through the Dolsanryeong tunnel, and none of the sources opened mentions a permit or ID check for the festival itself. The security sites on the basin's northern rim work differently. Tours to Eulji Observatory (1,049 m), which reopened in March 2025, and the 4th Tunnel start at the Yanggu Unification Hall next to the festival grounds: you show photo ID, sit a short security briefing, wear a visitor badge and go up in escorted sessions. Under the winter timetable you must reach the hall by 14:30. Foreign visitors should carry their passport, since the sources say only 'photo ID'.

Honest caveats: Yanggu has no railway, and the basin is a further county-bus or taxi ride beyond Yanggu town, so a day trip from Seoul is tight. Programmes are in Korean. Early November in an upland basin is cold, so dress warmly.

Highlights

  • Growers' sales of Punchbowl siraegi (dried radish greens) and highland apples, with mushrooms, pickles and kimchi at low prices in the 2024 sales zone
  • Siraegi-apple food zone run by rural experience villages: make siraegi triangle gimbap, apple fritters or apple waffles
  • Local restaurants serving siraegi gukbap (soup with rice), siraegi pork rice bowls, siraegi jeon and siraegi sundae
  • Children's crafts, including a Crown Haitai apple and siraegi collage in 2026, and new apple and siraegi mascot photo zones
  • Daily stage shows: opening concert, the Dolsanryeong jige (A-frame carrier) game performance and residents' singing contests
  • Set in the Punchbowl, a basin 400–500 m up ringed by peaks over 1,100 m, next to the Yanggu Unification Hall where Eulji Observatory and 4th Tunnel tours start

Who it suits. Best for food-minded travellers and families who want a small local harvest fair combined with a DMZ day out at Eulji Observatory, the 4th Tunnel or the Yanggu War Memorial; less suited to anyone who needs English-language programmes or who wants an easy trip without a car, since the last leg from Yanggu town is a county bus or taxi.

Getting there

From Seoul

Intercity bus from Dong Seoul Terminal to Yanggu: about 17 a day, 1 h 44 m–2 h 19 m, ₩16,700 regular or ₩21,800 deluxe. Yanggu has no railway. The festival is not in Yanggu town but in the Haean basin beyond the Dolsanryeong tunnel: from Yanggu-eup take a county rural bus to Haean (about seven a day; Yanggu made its county buses free for everyone from January 2025) or a taxi. Eulji Observatory, on the basin's northern rim, is about 27 km from Yanggu town, so allow extra time for this last leg. The grounds are at Haeanseohwa-ro 15, next to the Yanggu Unification Hall.

Festival shuttle

No festival shuttle bus was documented for 2024–2026 on the pages opened. Yanggu's county buses, including the rural buses to Haean, have been free for all riders since January 2025 (county announcement of December 2024).

Getting home

The national timetable feed lists Yanggu under two terminal names (Yanggu Intercity Bus Terminal and Yanggu Jeongjungang Terminal) with different departure lists, and the return times to Dong Seoul could not be checked against the operator's current timetable: check the last bus at the Yanggu terminal before the festival day. The festival closes at 17:00, and you still have to get back over the pass to Yanggu town; rural-bus times from Haean were not found, so ask at the festival information desk or book a taxi.

Parking

Festival parking was not published. The Yanggu Unification Hall next door (Haeanseohwa-ro 35) has about 100 free spaces.

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

2026 prices in Korean won
ItemPriceNote
EntryFree
Hands-on programmes, food and produce—Paid; 2026 prices not published
Booking
No ticket or booking is needed for the festival. Eulji Observatory and 4th Tunnel tours can be booked in advance on Yanggu's security-tourism website (ygrp.or.kr, per a listings site) or joined on the day at the Unification Hall; sessions can fill early. Whether online booking needs a Korean phone number is not stated.
English on site
No English programme or interpretation was published; programmes run in Korean. Yanggu announced multilingual tourist maps and new foreign-language signs in February 2026.
Crowds
No visitor totals were published. Reports on the 2024 edition describe crowds from the first day, especially at the low-price produce sales zone.
Best time to go
Morning, when the produce stalls are fullest, then an Eulji Observatory tour in the early afternoon (be at the Unification Hall by 14:30 under the winter timetable). In 2025 the opening celebration concert was on the Saturday.
What to bring
Warm layers (the basin sits 400–500 m up in early November), your passport or other photo ID if you plan to visit Eulji Observatory or the 4th Tunnel, and a bag for siraegi bundles and apples.

2026 program

  • Opening ceremony concert and main-stage performances on set days (timetable not yet published)
  • Events including a Crown Haitai Punchbowl apple and siraegi collage craft for children
  • Apple and siraegi promotion hall, apple and siraegi hands-on programmes, and a rural experience village
  • Sales of local food and farm produce, cafés and snack stalls, and local restaurants
  • New apple and siraegi characters used for photo zones and festival goods; theme 'Fall for Punchbowl' (펀치볼에 빠지다)

Organized by the Yanggu Culture Foundation (contact 033-482-9174). KTO's overview calls it the 2026 Cheongchun Yanggu Punchbowl Apple-Siraegi Festival (사과시래기축제), putting apples first. Listings note that the schedule may change; no timetable or line-up had been published as of 19 October 2026.

Editions

YearDatesStatusNotes
2027 A Friday-to-Sunday weekend between late October and mid-November 2027 is likely, going by 1–3 Nov 2024, 31 Oct–2 Nov 2025 and 6–8 Nov 2026. Yanggu County usually publishes its yearly festival calendar in February (19 Feb 2024, 3 Feb 2026), but the 2024 date moved after it was announced. Nothing announced as of 19 October 2026. expected
2026 6–8 Nov 2026 confirmed Grounds in front of the Punchbowl Healing House (Seonghwangji area), Haeanseohwa-ro 15, Haean-myeon; the Yanggu Unification Hall, start point for Eulji Observatory and 4th Tunnel tours, is next door at Haeanseohwa-ro 35.
2025 31 Oct – 2 Nov 2025 ended In front of the Punchbowl Healing House, Haean-myeon.
2024 1–3 Nov 2024 ended Seonghwangji area in front of the Punchbowl Healing House, Haean-myeon.

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.

  • Yanggu Unification Hall and War Memorial (양구통일관)Before or after

    A free exhibition hall on North Korea and the Korean War on the basin's northern edge, with the Yanggu War Memorial, on the battles fought around the Punchbowl, beside it; it is also where you register for the Eulji Observatory and 4th Tunnel. From November to February it opens 09:00–17:00 (closed Mondays; the festival runs Friday–Sunday), matching the festival hours. Register for the observatory first, then look round while you wait.

    Getting there: Next door on foot: the hall is at Haeanseohwa-ro 35, the festival grounds at No. 15

  • Eulji Observatory (을지전망대)Before or after

    A frontline observatory at 1,049 m on the Gachilbong ridge, about 1 km south of the Military Demarcation Line, looking over the Punchbowl to North Korean hills and, on clear days, to Biro Peak in the Geumgang Mountains. Under the winter timetable it opens 09:00–17:00 and you must reach the hall by 14:30, so go around midday and be back for the festival's last hours. Bring your passport: entry is by photo-ID check, a security briefing and escorted sessions.

    Getting there: Register at the Unification Hall next door, then go up the military road by vehicle (your own or a taxi); no tour bus was found for festival days

  • Getting awayAfter

    The festival closes at 17:00, and the buses to Dong Seoul leave from Yanggu town, back over the Dolsanryeong pass. Rural-bus times from Haean were not found, so ask at the festival information desk when the last county bus to Yanggu-eup leaves or book a taxi in advance, and check the last bus to Dong Seoul at the Yanggu terminal before you go.

Questions travelers ask

When is the Yanggu Punchbowl Siraegi Apple Festival 2026?

Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November 2026, 10:00–17:00, in front of the Punchbowl Healing House in Haean-myeon, Yanggu (KTO listing). The 2025 edition ran 31 October–2 November and the 2024 edition 1–3 November.

Is the festival free?

Yes, entry is free. You pay for food, produce and some hands-on programmes; 2026 prices had not been published by 28 October, nor whether the purchase gifts of past editions return.

Do foreigners need a permit to visit the Punchbowl?

Not for the festival: Haean-myeon is a civilian farming township reached by public roads and county buses, and no source mentions a permit or ID check for the grounds. The DMZ sites are different: Eulji Observatory and 4th Tunnel tours start at the Yanggu Unification Hall next door, where you register with photo ID, get a security briefing and go up in escorted sessions. Carry your passport.

How do I get there from Seoul?

Bus from Dong Seoul Terminal to Yanggu, 1 h 44 m–2 h 19 m (₩16,700 regular, ₩21,800 deluxe, about 17 a day). From Yanggu town take a county rural bus (about seven a day, free since January 2025) or a taxi over the Dolsanryeong pass to Haean. Check the last bus back to Dong Seoul at the Yanggu terminal before the festival day.

What is siraegi?

Radish greens dried outdoors through the winter freeze and thaw, then cooked in soups, rice dishes and stews. A radish variety bred for siraegi has been grown in Yanggu since 2007; apples joined the festival in 2022.

Can I combine the festival with Eulji Observatory?

Yes. The tours leave from the Unification Hall next to the grounds, in four escorted sessions a day of up to 160 people. Under the winter timetable the observatory is open 09:00–17:00 and you must reach the hall by 14:30. Book online in advance or apply on the day; bring photo ID.

When is the 2027 festival?

Not announced. Recent editions ran Friday to Sunday around the turn of October and November, and Yanggu usually publishes its festival calendar in February.

What else would help you plan this trip?

Tick what you'd like us to add, or tell us in your own words. We read every suggestion.

What else would help you plan this trip?
Beyond festivals, what else should we cover for your trip to Korea?

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.

  1. KTO TourAPI listing 청춘양구 펀치볼 시래기사과축제 (contentId 1122739)kto — 2026 dates 6–8 Nov, hours 10:00–17:00, free entry, venue 펀치볼 힐링하우스 앞 성황지 and address 해안서화로 15, coordinates 38.2911/128.1435, organizer 양구문화재단, phone 033-482-9174, homepage; theme 펀치볼에 빠지다, new apple and siraegi characters, food, experiences, performances
  2. ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 2026 청춘양구 펀치볼 사과·시래기축제 (contentId 1122739)kto — 2026 programme: opening concert and main performances, Crown Haitai apple and siraegi collage kids' craft, promotion hall, experience programmes, rural experience village, food and produce sales, cafés and local restaurants; nearby DMZ Punchbowl Trail, Eulji Observatory, Haean basin geopark, War Memorial
  3. Yeogiyou (여기유) — 청춘양구 펀치볼 시래기사과축제other — 6–8 Nov 2026 (Fri–Sun), 10:00–17:00, free; organizers 양구문화재단 and 펀치볼시래기생산자협의회; schedule may change
  4. Kukinews 2025-10-19 — 양구 펀치볼 시래기사과축제 31일 개막…체험행사 풍성news — 2025 dates 31 Oct–2 Nov, three days, theme Super Punch Bowl, venue in front of Punchbowl Healing House, day-by-day stage programme, hands-on and food zone, gifts for ₩10,000+ purchases, reusable containers and price-monitoring office
  5. Kukinews 2025-10-16 — 양구 시래기 'K-식재료'로 주목…올해 126억 소득 전망news — Siraegi income of ₩12.6 billion expected in 2025, promoted as a specialty since 2007; 2025 festival from the 31st in Haean-myeon combining apples and siraegi
  6. Kyunghyang 2024-10-31 — 청춘들 모여라!…1~3일 '양구 펀치볼 시래기 사과 축제'news — 2024 dates 1–3 Nov at the Seonghwangji area in front of the Punchbowl Healing House; hands-on programmes, food zone, local siraegi dishes, stage line-up; reusable bag for purchases of ₩10,000 or more
  7. Kukinews 2024-11-04 — 청춘양구 펀치볼 시래기사과축제 '성료'news — 2024 ran 1–3 Nov, extended from two days to three; crowds from day one; sales zone items; apple fishing, crafts, restaurant dishes, concerts with Lee Seong-eun and Jung Soo-ra; gifts for ₩10,000+ purchases
  8. Kukinews 2024-02-19 — 양구군 올해 대표 축제 일정 확정news — Yanggu's 2024 festival calendar published 19 Feb 2024 with the siraegi apple festival planned for 26–27 Oct at the Seonghwangji area, Haean-myeon
  9. Herald Economy 2026-02-03 — 곰취축제·배꼽축제·펀치볼시래기축제..양구에서 놀 계획 나왔다news — Yanggu's 2026 calendar of five festivals published 3 Feb 2026; the siraegi apple festival closes the season (dates not given)
  10. Rural Development Administration webzine, October 2024 — 여행, 풍미를 더하다 (Yanggu)ministry — Basin 400–500 m up, ringed by mountains over 1,100 m; called the only township inside the civilian access control line; siraegi dried outdoors through freeze-thaw; radish variety grown since 2007; apples added to the festival in 2022; 2024 dates given as 26–27 Oct; DMZ Punchbowl Trail 73.22 km in four routes, first national forest trail (2021), booking and guide required, possible mines
  11. Toyo Economy 2014-12-09 — 양구 펀치볼 시래기, 본격적으로 상품출하news — 2014 DMZ Punchbowl Siraegi Festival on 20–21 Dec at the Haean rest-area square
  12. Seoul Shinmun 2015-11-20 — 46억 대박 난 '양구 펀치볼 시래기'news — 2015 festival held in late October, about two months earlier than in 2014; siraegi area 480 ha in 2015
  13. Seoul Shinmun 2016-10-25 — 양구군 '효자' 시래기에 축제로 '포상'news — 2016 DMZ Punchbowl Siraegi Festival on 29–30 Oct at the Punchbowl Healing House plaza; about 480 ha of siraegi in 2015
  14. Seoul Shinmun 2018-10-26 — 강원 산골마을, 시래기·산야초·사과축제... 풍성news — 2018 DMZ Punchbowl Siraegi Festival on 27–28 Oct at the Healing House plaza, with an apple promotion pavilion
  15. Namuwiki — 해안면other — 1,208 residents (July 2023), area 61.75 km²; northern villages inside the civilian control line, the rest released in 1996; about seven rural buses a day from Yanggu-eup since the Dolsanryeong tunnel; one daily Dong Seoul bus via Hongcheon
  16. Wikipedia — Haeanother — UN forces nicknamed the Haean basin the Punchbowl; northern part of the basin within the DMZ; Yanggu War Memorial Museum opened in 2000; Eulji Unification Observatory
  17. Kukinews 2025-03-20 — 양구 을지전망대 내일부터 본격 운영 시작news — Eulji Observatory reopened 21 Mar 2025 after closure from 2020; 1,049 m, about 27 km northeast of Yanggu, about 1 km south of the MDL; ID check, badge and security briefing at the Unification Hall; four escorted sessions a day of up to 160 people; book online or apply on the day; photo ID required; Sunday city tour from Chuncheon Station
  18. Kukinews 2025-07-14 — 양구 을지전망대, 안보·자연 관광도시 '발돋움'news — Eulji Observatory procedure: photo ID essential, four sessions a day, up to 160 people, advance booking advised; Yanggu City Tour from Chuncheon Station on Sundays
  19. ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 양구통일관kto — Yanggu Unification Hall at 해안서화로 35: 09:00–18:00 Mar–Oct, 09:00–17:00 Nov–Feb, closed Mondays, 1 Jan and Seollal/Chuseok mornings, free, about 100 free parking spaces, phone 033-480-7251; in the civilian control line area
  20. Yeogiyou (여기유) — 을지전망대other — Eulji Observatory 09:00–18:00 Mar–Oct and 09:00–17:00 Nov–Feb; for Eulji Observatory and the 4th Tunnel arrive at the Unification Hall by 15:30 (summer) or 14:30 (winter) and leave the observatory before 16:00; phone 033-480-2674; ygrp.or.kr
  21. Gangwon State (EN) — DMZmunicipal — Punch Bowl basin 400–500 m up, viewed from Dolsanryeong; the 4th Tunnel is the only tunnel toured by motorcar; Eulji Observatory at 1,049 m with views to the Geumgang Mountains
  22. Dong Seoul → Yanggu intercity bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-12)other — 17 buses a day, 07:00 to 19:20; 1 h 44 m (deluxe and some regular) to 2 h 19 m; adult ₩16,700 regular, ₩21,800 deluxe
  23. Yanggu Intercity Bus Terminal → Dong Seoul timetable (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-09-07)other — 10 buses a day, first 07:20, then 17:40 (arr 19:28) and last 19:10 (arr 20:58); 1 h 48 m; adult ₩16,700 regular, ₩21,800 deluxe when rechecked on 20 October 2026 (an older listing showed ₩15,400 / ₩20,000)
  24. Yanggu Jeongjungang Terminal → Dong Seoul timetable (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-18)other — 6 buses a day: 08:00, 08:20, 08:50, 10:40, 16:40 (arr 18:43) and 19:20 (arr 21:23); 1 h 49 m–2 h 03 m; ₩16,700 or ₩21,800
  25. Kukinews 2024-12-12 — 양구군, 내년부터 대중교통 이용요금 전면 무료화news — All public transport in Yanggu County free for residents and visitors from January 2025, with rural buses under full county operation
  26. Herald Economy 2026-02-21 — 양구 한반도섬·을지전망대 북적..DMZ권 관광 확대news — Eulji Observatory reopened in 2025; Yanggu plans multilingual tourist maps and new foreign-language signs, and a 1-night, 2-day course around Haean-myeon
  27. Nocut News (Gangwon CBS) — 2026 통일걷기 4일차, 격전지 양구 (5 Aug 2026)news — Yanggu Unification Hall opened 1996 at the northern edge of the Punchbowl basin, about 5 km from the 4th Tunnel, a unification-education site on conditions in North Korea; Eulji Observatory on the Gachilbong ridge, about 27 km north-east of Yanggu, about 1 km south of the MDL, views to Biro Peak on clear days
  28. Hangyo (Korea Education News) travelogue — 국토의 중앙‧청춘의 고장 '양구' (2013)news — Visitors register at the Unification Hall, then travel by vehicle to the 4th Tunnel and up a steep road to Eulji Observatory; photography banned at the observatory; the War Memorial stands beside the Unification Hall

What we could not confirm

  • The 2026 timetable, stage line-up and prices of hands-on programmes and food were not published; the Yanggu Culture Foundation festival page (ygcf.or.kr) could not be opened, and a webzine page on the 2026 festival (wegive.co.kr) blocks automated reading.
  • What foreign visitors must show for Eulji Observatory and the 4th Tunnel: the sources say only 'photo ID' (a passport is assumed); any nationality restrictions and tour fees were not found.
  • Eulji Observatory cut-off times conflict: a listings site says arrive at the Unification Hall by 14:30 in winter, while the KTO mirror mentions last admission at 14:50.
  • Haean's civilian-control status is described differently: the RDA (2024) calls it the only township inside the civilian access control line, while Namuwiki says the basin's villages were released in 1996 and only the northern villages remain inside. No source mentions a checkpoint on the way to the festival grounds.
  • Rural-bus times between Yanggu-eup and Haean, the journey time and taxi fare were not found; nor whether the once-daily direct Dong Seoul–Haean bus via Hongcheon (Namuwiki) still runs, or whether the free-bus scheme started as planned in January 2025.
  • The national timetable feed lists two Yanggu terminals (Yanggu Intercity Bus Terminal and Yanggu Jeongjungang Terminal) with different return departures and fares (₩15,400/₩20,000 vs ₩16,700/₩21,800); which is current was not confirmed.
  • First year and edition number of the festival: held as the DMZ Punchbowl Siraegi Festival since at least 2014; apples added in 2022 per the RDA.
  • Festival parking and any shuttle bus were not published.
  • Japanese and Chinese names were not found on a KTO or official foreign-language page.
  • Last bus back from Yanggu to Dong Seoul on 6–8 Nov 2026 under the operator's timetable in force that day (only a third-party mirror of the national feed was found, listing two Yanggu terminals).
  • How visitors without a car get from the Unification Hall to Eulji Observatory and the 4th Tunnel on the festival days (own vehicles only, or a tour vehicle); Yanggu's tourism site ygtour.kr could not be read.
  • Opening hours of the Yanggu War Memorial beside the Unification Hall were not found.

Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — 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). · 2026-10-20 — Old Yanggu fares in a source note replaced with the current ones. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed return bus times from Yanggu to Dong Seoul that only a third-party timetable mirror gave; the page now says to check the last bus at the terminal. · 2026-10-28 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: added a 'Getting away' line (last county bus or a booked taxi back over the pass), no clock times to verify, last Dong Seoul bus still unverified; prices: past editions' ₩10,000 purchase-gift threshold removed from the FAQ.

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Happening now
Apr – Oct2026
25 –31
Sat–Sat
LightsWonjuFreeEnds todayAbout 50 min from Seoul

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Deep-fried king prawns at the 2015 Namdang Port King Prawn Festival in Hongseong Happening now
Sep – Nov2026
4 –8
Fri–Sun
FoodHongseongFreeUntil 8 Nov

Hongseong Namdang Port King Prawn Festival

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Paldalmun Gate of Suwon Hwaseong Fortress at night, next to the market Happening now
Sep – Oct2026
5 –31
Sat–Sat
FoodSuwonFreeEnds todayAbout 1 h 10 min from Seoul

Bulchwimugwi Night Market

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Mungyeong Saejae Provincial Park seen from above in November, where the apple festival is held Happening now
Oct – Nov2026
17 –1
Sat–Sun
FoodMungyeongFreeEnds tomorrowAbout 2 h 30 min from Seoul

Mungyeong Apple Festival

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A gate of Hongjueupseong, the old walled town in Hongseong where the festival is held Happening now
Oct – Nov2026
29 –1
Thu–Sun
FoodHongseongFreeEnds tomorrowAbout 2 h 10 min from Seoul

Hongseong Global Barbecue Festival

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Crowds on Songdo Beach watching fireworks over the water at the 2025 Busan Mackerel Festival Happening now
Oct – Nov2026
30 –1
Fri–Sun
FoodBusanFreeEnds tomorrowAbout 2 h 47 min from Seoul

Busan Mackerel Festival

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