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Goesan Kimjang Festival 2026: make kimchi Nov 5–8, foreigners' day Nov 5

Reported 2026-10-15 / Posted 2026-10-16 Updated · 2026-10-20 · Compiled from Korean media reports · By
Updated · 2026-10-20

A second kimjang option in Pyeongchang (October 20 update)

If Goesan's November 5–8 dates do not fit, the Pyeongchang Highland Kimjang Festival (평창고랭지김장축제) in Gangwon Province runs from November 4 to 16 at the Odaecheon festival grounds in Jinbu-myeon. As Ilgan Today reported on October 19, pre-booking opens October 20 and the general session, with 10 kg of salted cabbage, costs 69,000 won. We have added a section on it below.

Goesan County in North Chungcheong Province holds the 2026 Goesan Kimjang Festival (괴산김장축제) from Thursday, November 5 to Sunday, November 8. Kimjang is the Korean custom of making a whole winter's kimchi in one go, and here you can join in with local salted cabbage and peppers. Two Korean reports from October 15 say the opening day is a group kimjang day for foreign visitors.

Crowd of visitors in autumn jackets and hats walking between rows of white and red peaked festival tents, trees behind
File photo: visitors walk between the white and red booth tents at an earlier Goesan Kimjang Festival in Goesan, North Chungcheong.Photo: Korea Tourism Organization (한국관광공사) via TourAPI · KOGL Type 3

The essentials

  • What: 2026 Goesan Kimjang Festival (2026 괴산김장축제), run by Goesan County under the theme 'RED하게 세상을 버무리다' (roughly, tossing the world in red)
  • When: November 5–8, 2026 (Thursday to Sunday)
  • Where: Goesan Organic Expo Plaza (괴산유기농엑스포광장) and Goesan Sports Complex (괴산종합운동장), Goesan County
  • Booking: kimjang sessions are reserved in advance on the official festival website
  • Status: dates, venues and the program come from the county's plans as reported on October 15. Not in either report: hours, admission and experience fees, whether staff speak English or other languages on November 5, transport from Seoul, and the website address.

What it is

Kimjang (김장) is the late-autumn job of salting cabbage and rubbing it with a red pepper seasoning so a household has kimchi through the cold months. The tradition is on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage. Goesan builds its festival around two of the county's signature farm products: salted cabbage (절임배추) and chili peppers grown locally.

What's on, day by day

According to NewsTNT and iNews24, these run on all four days:

  • One-stop kimjang. Make kimchi from start to finish with Goesan's salted cabbage and peppers.
  • Kimchi corners. The master's kimjang room (명인의 김장간) and the K-Kimchi Market (K-김치마켓).
  • Food and fire. The K-RED food street and a bonfire zone for grilling food over the fire are both bigger this year.
  • Drive-thru kimjang. This format has moved to the Sports Complex this year.

Each day also has a group kimjang session for one audience:

  • Thursday, November 5: foreign visitors.
  • Friday, November 6: people with disabilities, followed by fireworks at night.
  • Saturday, November 7: children.
  • Sunday, November 8: youth, with a second fireworks show that night.

New this year is a madang play (마당극), a form of open-air Korean folk theatre. It runs from November 6 to 8, and the audience is invited to take part.

Village kimjang through November

Away from the festival grounds, 15 farm households around Goesan host village kimjang from November 1 to 30. iNews24 describes it as visiting a farm, making kimchi there and seeing a little of rural life. If your trip misses the festival weekend, this is the other way to try kimjang in Goesan this year. The reports do not name the farms or give dates for each one.

Another November option: Pyeongchang

The 9th Pyeongchang Highland Kimjang Festival (평창고랭지김장축제) runs daily from November 4 to 16 at the Odaecheon festival grounds (오대천 축제장) in Jinbu-myeon, Pyeongchang County, Gangwon Province. According to Ilgan Today, the general session (10 kg of cabbage cured in sun-dried salt) costs 69,000 won. The premium session (10 kg cured in deep-sea-water salt) costs 79,000 won, and 7 kg of salted young radish (알타리무) costs 70,000 won.

Sessions run daily from 9am to 5pm, and on-site sign-up closes at 4pm. Pre-booking opens October 20 on the official website or by phone on 033-336-4000, and the county suggests the website because the phone line is busy at first. The site lists +82-33-336-4000 for foreign visitors.

Tickets and booking

Both reports say the festival program and kimjang reservations are handled through the official festival website. Neither prints its address, and we could not confirm one, so search for 괴산김장축제 in Korean to find it. No 2026 prices have been published, so check the booking page rather than relying on figures from earlier years.

How to get there

The reports mention no shuttle buses or direct transport from Seoul, so plan the route yourself. Paste the venue names, 괴산유기농엑스포광장 and 괴산종합운동장, into Naver Map or KakaoMap; Google Maps does not give transit directions in Korea. Check which site you need: the drive-thru kimjang is at the Sports Complex.

Our verdict

Go on November 5 if making kimchi with other visitors from abroad appeals to you, and if a trip into rural North Chungcheong without a confirmed shuttle does not put you off. The trade-off is the unknowns: no published fees, no word on interpreters and no transport plan from the capital yet.

The evening fireworks on November 6 and 8 add a reason to stay late, but only once you know how you are getting back. If the festival dates do not fit, the farm sessions continue until November 30.

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