Where to go in Korea in June: 19 festivals

Festivals and seasonal sights in 29 places across Korea in June: Okpo Victory Festival (Geoje), Yugu Hydrangea Garden Festival (Gongju), Hydrangeas…

Top 10

Geoje

• Okpo Victory Festival — Marks the first naval victory of the Imjin War, with ceremonies and performances at the memorial park.
• Nambu-myeon Hydrangeas — From mid-June the roads toward Windy Hill go blue. Few places to pull over, so drive slowly.

Gongju

• Yugu Hydrangea Garden Festival — A riverside hydrangea garden in the old textile town of Yugu, twenty minutes by car from Magoksa.

Jeju

• Hydrangeas — Hueree is busiest on weekend mornings during its hydrangea festival. The roadside hydrangeas at Jongdal-ri are free.

Gochang

• Gochang Mudflat Festival — Mudflat walks, bare-hand eel catching with free tastings, and a photo contest. Bring boots and a change of clothes.
• Gochang Bokbunja and Watermelon Festival — Taste and buy peak-season bokbunja berries and Gochang watermelon at the booths. The Seonunsa lot fills up, so go early.

Wonju

• Yongsugol Poppy Festival — Late May into early June the valley fields turn red with poppies. Twenty minutes by car from downtown; the lanes are narrow, so go early on weekends.
• Wonju Rose Festival — Rose tunnels and evening lights at the park near the terminal in early summer. Walking distance from the Orchid Hotel.

Jeonju

• Jeonju Daesaseup Korean Music Contest — The national contest that crowns masters of pansori, farmers' music and dance. On finals day you watch the top singers up close in the center's main hall.
• Nambu Night Market — Food stalls line the aisles from around 6pm. On spring and autumn weekends the aisles jam, so arrive before 7.

Goseong

• Scallop and sea urchin season — Scallops and sea urchin peak from late spring into early summer. Cheonjin Siktak's sea urchin seaweed soup is at its richest now.
• Goseong Lavender Festival — The purple hillside peaks in June. The access road jams on weekend mornings, so go early or on a weekday.

Seosan

• Milguk nakji season — From May to July, restaurants serve milguk nakji, young Garorim Bay octopus simmered with zucchini and wheat dumplings. It drops off menus out of season, so ask ahead.
• Palbongsan Potato Festival — Two days on the third weekend of June: dig potatoes in the field and taste free potatoes steamed in a wood-fired cauldron. The access road runs one way, so follow the signs.

Gangneung

• Gangneung Danoje Festival — UNESCO-listed. Masked dance, swing contests and a sprawling food market; evenings are when it fills up.

Yangyang

• Yangyang Culture Festival (Hyeonsan) — The county's own festival, dated after Dano. Tug-of-war and folk games with the whole town out.

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