At a glance
| Dates | Expected Oct 2027Mid to late October 2027, probably four days from Thursday to Sunday, if the pattern of 2024–2026 holds (17–20 Oct 2024, 23–26 Oct 2025, 22–25 Oct 2026); nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Mid to late October 2027, probably four days from Thursday to Sunday, if the pattern of 2024–2026 holds (17–20 Oct 2024, 23–26 Oct 2025, 22–25 Oct 2026); nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. |
| Admission | Free. Food, drink and market goods are paid.Entry: Free (2026 prices) |
| Venue | Yesan Permanent Market and surrounding streets충청남도 예산군 예산읍 예산시장길 2 |
| Nearest station | Yesan Station (예산역), Korail Janghang Line (Mugunghwa, Saemaeul and ITX-Maeum from Yongsan)Walking time not documented; the station is at Yeokjeon-ro 83 and the market at Yesansijang-gil 2 in the town centre, so take a taxi or local bus if unsure |
| From Seoul | about 1 h 55 min · Train + TaxiLeave from Yongsan Station · One-way fare from ₩8,300 · Back to Seoul the same nightFull route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Yesan County, run by the Yesan-gun Development Committee예산군 (주관: (사)예산군개발위원회) |
| Usual timing | Four days, Thursday to Sunday, in mid to late October since 2024 (17–20 Oct 2024, 23–26 Oct 2025, 22–25 Oct 2026); seven days, Friday to Thursday, in mid October in 2022 and 2023. Held every year since 2017; the 2021 edition (3–7 Nov) ran online and on site. Browse October festivals. |
| First held | 2017 |
| Last checked | 22 October 2026Checked against 26 sources · See sources |
What it is like
Yesan Permanent Market sits in the old town centre of Yesan-eup, a county town in Chungcheongnam-do, and marks its 100th year in 2026. Since 2017 the county has held a festival there each autumn around three things whose Korean names begin with "guk" (국): gukbap, the rice-and-soup dish the market's restaurants are known for; guksu, noodles; and gukhwa, chrysanthemums. "Samguk" (three guk) is a play on the Three Kingdoms period, which is why KTO's English listing calls it the Yesan Jangteo Three Kingdoms Festival, but the festival is about food and flowers, not history.
The market became a national draw after a 2023 revamp with Yesan-born restaurateur Baek Jong-won and his company The Born Korea: about 180,000 people visited in the two months after the market's new space opened in January 2023. Baek consulted on the festival's food in 2022 and 2023, the county gave The Born Korea a service contract for the 2024 festival, and in 2025 it only took the company's advice. The festival's record attendance, about 360,000, came in 2022.
The 2026 edition is the 10th, from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October, 10:00–20:00, under the slogan "Yesan Jangteo! Our story continues". KTO's listing describes a "bucket list" of ten activities to complete, resident-run food under three themes, an immersive street play, main-stage shows with a colour theme for each day, the Yesan Dance Festival competition for dancers from around the country, and chrysanthemum displays with photo zones. In 2025 the chrysanthemum route had more than 20,000 sculptures; no detailed 2026 timetable had been published by 18 October.
Entry is free and you pay for what you eat. Since 2025 the county has cut festival-run food booths from 40–50 to 10–15 to send visitors to the market's own restaurants and gukbap street, so expect queues at popular places, especially at the weekend. The Yesan Apple Festival, which shared dates with this festival in 2025, is separate in 2026 (30–31 October at the Yedang Reservoir suspension bridge). Yesan has no KTX, but trains and buses from Seoul take under two hours, so it is an easy day trip.
Highlights
- Three "guk" themes, gukbap rice soup, guksu noodles and gukhwa chrysanthemums, in and around Yesan Permanent Market, which marks its 100th year in 2026
- 10th edition, 22–25 October 2026 (Thursday to Sunday), 10:00–20:00 daily, free entry
- Chrysanthemum displays and photo zones; in 2025 the Chrysanthemum Road had more than 20,000 sculptures plus bonsai and cut flowers
- A "bucket list" of ten festival activities to complete step by step, and resident-run food under Samguk, "eight flavours" (8-mi) and local themes
- Main-stage shows with a colour theme for each day, an immersive street play, and the Yesan Dance Festival competition for dancers from across Korea
- The market's restaurants and gukbap street, revamped with Baek Jong-won's The Born Korea in 2023; the festival keeps its own food booths few so visitors eat in the market
- Sunday 25 October falls on a Yesan five-day market day (dates ending in 5 and 0)
Who it suits. Best for food-minded travellers and families who want a relaxed small-town market day out from Seoul, with gukbap, noodles and chrysanthemums, about two hours away by train or bus; less suited to visitors who need English-language programmes, since none was published, or who dislike restaurant queues at weekends.
Getting there
From Seoul
Janghang Line train from Yongsan Station to Yesan Station: 16 a day on Thursday 22 October and 15 a day on 23–25 October, between 05:32 and 20:43 (national timetable data for 22–28 October 2026), 1 h 52 m–1 h 59 m by Mugunghwa (₩8,300) or 1 h 44 m–1 h 51 m by Saemaeul or ITX-Maeum (₩12,300); there is no KTX. Or a bus from Seoul Central City (Honam line) to Yesan Terminal: 7 a day in the mid-October timetable, 1 h 45 m, ₩9,500 regular or ₩13,900 deluxe; bus times for the festival days were not confirmed, so check them at the terminal before you go. The festival is around Yesan Permanent Market (Yesansijang-gil 2) in the town centre; walking times from the station and the terminal were not documented, so take a taxi if unsure.
From Incheon Airport
No direct bus between Incheon Airport and Yesan Terminal appears in the October 2026 timetable (Yesan's 3 daily buses to Incheon go to Incheon Bus Terminal in the city). Go via Seoul: AREX to Seoul Station, then on to Yongsan for the Janghang Line.
Last leg from Yesan Station
Korail Janghang Line (Mugunghwa, Saemaeul and ITX-Maeum from Yongsan). Walking time not documented; the station is at Yeokjeon-ro 83 and the market at Yesansijang-gil 2 in the town centre, so take a taxi or local bus if unsure
Festival shuttle
No festival shuttle information was found for 2026.
Getting home
In the national timetable data for 22–28 October 2026, the same on every festival day, the last trains from Yesan to Yongsan are the 19:50 ITX-Maeum (arrives 21:36), 20:02 Mugunghwa (arrives 22:01), 21:00 Saemaeul (arrives 22:48) and 22:02 Mugunghwa (arrives 23:55). The festival closes at 20:00, so the late trains work; check the Korail app (코레일톡) on the day. Buses from Yesan Terminal to Seoul run into the evening, but their times for the festival days could not be confirmed: check the last bus at the terminal before you go.
Parking
No 2026 festival parking plan was found. Parking near the market has been short since the 2023 revamp brought large crowds; in 2023 the province pledged ₩10 billion for a two-storey, 120-space parking tower due by 2025, and whether it is open was not confirmed. Coming by train or 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 drink | — | Paid per item at market restaurants and festival stalls; prices not published |
- Booking
- No booking for entry. How to join the bucket-list activities or enter the Yesan Dance Festival competition was not published on the pages opened; the festival phone line is 041-332-4317.
- English on site
- No English programme or on-site interpretation was documented. KTO's English listing calls the festival the Yesan Jangteo Three Kingdoms Festival.
- Crowds
- Busy: the 2019 edition counted 224,871 visitors in its first three days, and the 2022 edition about 360,000 in all. The market itself has drawn crowds since its 2023 revamp, so expect the weekend days (24–25 October 2026) to be the busiest.
- Best time to go
- Thursday 22 or Friday 23 October for shorter restaurant queues; or Sunday 25 October to combine the festival with Yesan's five-day market.
- What to bring
- An appetite and some cash for small market stalls, comfortable shoes for the market streets, and a warm layer for late-October evenings.
- Toilets
- The market plaza's two restrooms were refurbished in 2023; temporary festival toilets were not documented.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Mid to late October 2027, probably four days from Thursday to Sunday, if the pattern of 2024–2026 holds (17–20 Oct 2024, 23–26 Oct 2025, 22–25 Oct 2026); nothing announced as of 18 October 2026. | expected | Would be the 11th edition. The county outlined the 2025 festival at the end of August 2025. |
| 2026 | 22–25 Oct 2026 | ended | Around Yesan Permanent Market (Yesansijang-gil 2) in the old town centre of Yesan-eup. |
| 2025 | 23–26 Oct 2025 | ended | 9th edition, themed on gukbap, guksu and gukhwa with a "Nangman Restaurant" concept. Festival-run food booths were cut from 40–50 to 10–15 to send visitors to the market's restaurants; The Born Korea gave advice only. The county billed it a "good festival" to revive local spending after the July 2025 floods led to a special disaster zone declaration. |
| 2024 | 17–20 Oct 2024 | ended | 8th edition. Yesan County signed a separate service contract with The Born Korea for this edition. |
| 2023 | 13–19 Oct 2023 | ended | 7th edition, theme "Yesan Jangteo: an era of dignity". |
| 2022 | 14–20 Oct 2022 | ended | 6th edition and the first fully in-person edition in three years. About 57,000 visitors on the opening day; about 360,000 in all, the festival's record, with ₩1.3 billion of sales inside the grounds (reported February 2023). |
| 2021 | 3–7 Nov 2021 | ended | Around the Baek Jong-won Gukbap Street, online and on site. |
Nearby
- Yesan five-day market (예산장) — At the festival site. Traditional market days around Yesan Permanent Market on dates ending in 5 and 0 (KTO data), so Sunday 25 October 2026 is a market day.
- 60-year-old Yesan Jangteo Gukbap (60년전통예산장터국밥) — About 137 m. Long-running gukbap restaurant listed in KTO's nearby data for the festival.
- Sobok Galbi (소복갈비) — About 281 m. Grilled-rib (galbi) restaurant listed in KTO's nearby data for the festival.
- Yedangho Suspension Bridge and Musical Fountain (예당호 출렁다리(음악분수)) — About 5.9 km (KTO data). Pedestrian suspension bridge over Yedang Reservoir, billed as the country's largest; venue of the Yesan Apple Festival on 30–31 October 2026.
- Yedang Reservoir (Yedang Tourist Area) (예당저수지(예당관광지)) — About 6.6 km (KTO data). The reservoir and tourist area around the suspension bridge.
- Hwaamsa Temple (Yesan) (화암사 (예산)) — About 8.1 km (KTO data). Temple in Yesan County listed in KTO's nearby data for the festival.
Questions travelers ask
When is the Yesan Market Samguk Festival 2026?
Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October 2026, 10:00–20:00 daily, around Yesan Permanent Market in Yesan-eup, Chungcheongnam-do. It is the 10th edition.
Is it free?
Yes. Entry is free; you pay only for food, drink and anything you buy in the market.
What does "Samguk" mean?
"Three guk": gukbap (rice soup), guksu (noodles) and gukhwa (chrysanthemums). It is a play on the Three Kingdoms period, which is why KTO's English listing says "Three Kingdoms Festival", but the festival is about food and flowers, not history.
How do I get to Yesan from Seoul?
Take a Janghang Line train from Yongsan Station to Yesan Station: 1 h 52 m–1 h 59 m by Mugunghwa (₩8,300) or 1 h 44 m–1 h 51 m by Saemaeul or ITX-Maeum (₩12,300). There is no KTX. Or take a bus from Seoul Central City to Yesan Terminal, 1 h 45 m (₩9,500 regular, ₩13,900 deluxe), 7 a day.
How late can I get back to Seoul?
On every festival day (22–25 October 2026) the last trains from Yesan to Yongsan leave at 21:00 (Saemaeul, arrives 22:48) and 22:02 (Mugunghwa, arrives 23:55), according to the national timetable data for those dates. The festival closes at 20:00. Bus times to Seoul for the festival days were not confirmed; check the last bus at Yesan Terminal.
Is the Yesan Apple Festival on at the same time?
Not in 2026. The two shared dates in 2025, but KTO lists the 23rd Yesan Apple Festival for 30–31 October 2026 at the Yedang Reservoir suspension bridge, 10:00–20:00 (to 18:00 on 31 October), with free entry.
Is Baek Jong-won involved?
The Yesan-born restaurateur's company, The Born Korea, revamped the market in 2023. Baek consulted on the festival's food in 2022 and 2023, the county contracted The Born Korea for the 2024 festival, and in 2025 it only took the company's advice. No role for 2026 was stated in the sources found.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
22 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2027 edition. Confidence in the current facts: high.
- KTO TourAPI listing 예산장터 삼국축제 (contentId 2558866)kto — 2026 dates 22–25 Oct, hours 10:00–20:00, free, venue 예산상설시장 일원, address 예산시장길 2, coordinates 36.6770/126.8497, organizer Yesan-gun, phone 041-332-4317; 10 years of the festival and 100 years of Yesan Market; four sub-themes, theme and slogan; young local creators; bucket list of 10
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism — festival listing: 예산장터 삼국축제ministry — 2026 dates 22–25 Oct, 10:00–20:00, free, Yesan Permanent Market, host Yesan-gun, contact 041-332-4317, county festival page on yesan.go.kr, 10th year of the festival and 100th of the market; rechecked 22 Oct 2026: unchanged, no cancellation notice, no timetable, shuttle or parking details
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 예산장터 삼국축제kto — 2026 Thu 22–Sun 25 Oct; host Yesan-gun, run by (사)예산군개발위원회; 2026 programme (bucket list of 10, food under Samguk/8-mi/local themes, glocal immersive play, colour-themed daily stage, Yesan Dance Festival, chrysanthemum exhibition and photo zones); nearby: 예산장 on the 5th and 10th, 60년전통예산장터국밥 about 137 m, 소복갈비 about 281 m
- ktriptips (KTO English data mirror) — Yesan Jangteo Three Kingdoms Festivalkto — KTO English name, 2 Yesansijang-gil address, Yesan-gun Development Council; nearby distances: Yedangho suspension bridge 5,929 m, Yedang Reservoir 6,618 m, Hwaamsa 8,112 m
- ktriptips (KTO Japanese data mirror) — 礼山市場三国祭りkto — Japanese name 礼山市場三国祭り; 9th edition 23–26 Oct 2025, 10:00–20:00, free; 2025 stamp rally, trick-art by young local artists, reusable containers and zero waste; market with a 100-year history
- Popga — 제10회 예산장터 삼국축제 끝나지 않는 이야기other — 10th edition and 10th anniversary, 22–25 Oct 2026 (Thu–Sun), 10:00–20:00, free, organizers Yesan County and the Yesan-gun Development Committee, 2026 programme list
- Kyunghyang Shinmun — 예산장터삼국축제·예산사과축제 계획 (29 Aug 2025)news — 9th edition 23–26 Oct 2025 with the 22nd Yesan Apple Festival; food booths cut from 40–50 to 10–15; separate The Born Korea service contract in 2024, advice only in 2025
- Kukinews — 예산군 가을 축제 계획 (29 Aug 2025)news — 2025 Nangman food carts and local-food booths; 'good festival' after July 2025 heavy rain and special disaster zone designation
- Hankyung — autumn festivals (22 Oct 2025)news — 2025 Gukbap Road and Food Zone, Nangman night stalls, local-food market; Chrysanthemum Road with over 20,000 sculptures, bonsai and cut flowers
- FN News (EN) — Yesan Market Samguk Festival (14 Oct 2025)news — English name Yesan Market Samguk Festival; ninth edition, first held 2017; online during COVID-19; 2025 over 20,000 chrysanthemum sculptures, Milky Way light path, drone show, upcycling and zero-waste station
- The Fact — 예산군, 17~20일 제8회 예산장터 삼국축제 (2 Oct 2024)news — 8th edition 17–20 Oct 2024, 40 food booths with reusable containers, Zero Waste Station, PET-bottle exchange booth, plogging
- Kukinews — 제8회 예산장터 삼국축제 개막 (17 Oct 2024)news — 2024 opening on 17 Oct with chrysanthemum lighting, through 20 Oct; hosted by Yesan-gun and the Yesan-gun Development Committee
- NewsSeoul — 제7회 예산장터 삼국축제 10월 13일부터 19일까지 (5 Oct 2023)news — 7th edition 13–19 Oct 2023, theme, about 19,000 chrysanthemum displays, food zone from 25 to 50 with Baek Jong-won consulting, 13 Oct chrysanthemum lighting, 14 Oct EDM show
- NewsSeoul — 제7회 예산장터 삼국축제 (16 Oct 2023)news — 2023: Park Myung-soo and UV show and 300-drone show on 14 Oct; 2nd Yesan Global Food Championship and 13th Korea Myeongju awards on 15 Oct
- The Fact — 예산장터 삼국축제 개막 (15 Oct 2022)news — 6th edition 14–20 Oct 2022, first full in-person edition in three years, about 18,500 chrysanthemum pieces, 1st Global Food Championship on 16 Oct, 25 food booths, Daehoe stream lanterns, fireworks, 57,000 visitors on opening day, consulting by Yesan native Baek Jong-won
- NewsSeoul — 예산장터 삼국축제 2023 대한민국축제콘텐츠대상 수상 (24 Feb 2023)news — Record attendance of 360,000 and ₩1.3 billion sales inside the grounds at the 2022 festival
- Ajunews — 예산장터 삼국축제 대한민국 대표 축제 도약 (28 Mar 2022)news — Festival began in 2017; 5th edition 3–7 Nov 2021 online and offline around Baek Jong-won Gukbap Street, 62,000 on site, 240,000 online views; 2022 planned 14–20 Oct
- Ajunews — 제3회 예산장터 삼국축제 (21 Oct 2019)news — 3rd edition opened 18 Oct 2019; 224,871 visitors over the first three days
- NewsSeoul — 김태흠 충남도지사, 다시 문 연 예산상설시장 현장방문 (2 Apr 2023)news — Market revamp with Baek Jong-won (The Born Korea); about 180,000 visitors in two months after the January 2023 opening; two restrooms refurbished; parking shortage; ₩10 billion for a two-storey, 120-space parking tower by 2025
- KTO TourAPI listing 예산사과축제 (contentId 639648)kto — 23rd Yesan Apple Festival 30–31 Oct 2026 at Yedangho suspension bridge, 10:00–20:00 (31 Oct 10:00–18:00), free; bridge billed as the country's largest
- Yongsan → Yesan 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 05:32–20:43; Mugunghwa ₩8,300, 1 h 52 m–1 h 59 m; Saemaeul and ITX-Maeum ₩12,300, 1 h 44 m–1 h 51 m; about 1 h 55 m typical by Mugunghwa; no KTX
- Yesan → Yongsan train timetable, 22–28 Oct 2026 (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-22)other — Same last trains on 22, 23, 24 and 25 Oct: 19:50 ITX-Maeum 1222 (arr 21:36), 20:02 Mugunghwa 1286 (arr 22:01), 21:00 Saemaeul 1210 (arr 22:48), 22:02 Mugunghwa 1288 (arr 23:55); 16 departures on 22 Oct (extra 17:47 Saemaeul) and 15 on 23–25 Oct; return trips Yongsan → Yesan 16 on 22 Oct and 15 on 23–25 Oct, first 05:32 and last 20:43
- Yesan Station information (third-party mirror)other — Yesan Station on the Janghang Line, Yeokjeon-ro 83, Yesan-eup
- Seoul Central City → Yesan bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-12)other — 7 buses a day 07:10–20:10, 1 h 45 m, ₩9,500 regular / ₩13,900 deluxe
- Yesan → Seoul Central City bus timetable (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-10)other — 7 buses a day 06:55–20:55, 2 h 03 m; last 20:55 arriving 22:58
- Yesan Terminal intercity departures (third-party mirror of the MOLIT/data.go.kr national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-10)other — Yesan → Seoul Nambu 10:00 and 17:00; Dong Seoul 07:20; Incheon Bus Terminal 3 a day; no Incheon Airport route
What we could not confirm
- Detailed 2026 timetable (stage line-up, the ten bucket-list items, Yesan Dance Festival times) was not published on the pages opened; the county's festival page (yesan.go.kr, fstvlNo=1, linked from the ministry listing) could not be opened.
- Walking time and taxi fare from Yesan Station and Yesan Terminal to the market were not documented.
- No 2026 parking or shuttle plan was found; whether the planned 120-space parking tower near the market has opened is unconfirmed.
- Chinese (Simplified and Traditional) names were not found; the Japanese name is from KTO's Japanese listing as shown by a data mirror.
- Whether The Born Korea or Baek Jong-won has any role in the 2026 festival was not stated.
- Food prices, foreign-card acceptance, rain policy, accessibility and pet rules were not published.
- Rail times are from a third-party mirror of the national timetable feed for 22–28 Oct 2026, not from Korail itself. Bus times from Yesan Terminal to Seoul (Central City, Nambu, Dong Seoul) for 22–25 Oct could not be confirmed on 22 Oct 2026, so the bus clock times were removed from the page.
Changes: 2026-10-18 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Rechecked before the 2026 edition: no changes found. · 2026-10-22 — Rechecked before the 2026 edition: dates, hours and free entry unchanged; confirmed the last trains from Yesan to Yongsan for 22–25 October in the national timetable data for those dates, and removed the bus clock times to Seoul, which could not be confirmed for the festival days.
.jpg?width=960)
