Beyond The Foliage: Your 2025 Guide To South Korea’s Most Enchanting Autumn Festivals

In early October, the air in South Korea transforms into crisp, cool air, tinged with the aroma of roasting chestnuts and the rhythmic beat of drums. It’s a signal to embrace the season’s festivals, savour time-honoured cuisine, and delight in the enchanting beauty of autumn. Korea’s autumn is a grand feast, and you’re invited to the heart of the celebration.

1. Andong International Mask Dance Festival (안동국제탈춤페스티벌)

(September 26 – October 5, 2025)

The Vibe: It’s like stepping into a living folktale of ancient Korea. This isn’t just a passive show, it’s a boisterous, interactive explosion of colour and satire.

The Experience: Watch dancers in vibrant masks embody characters such as the passionate old monk, the flirtatious nobleman, and the simple-minded butcher, skewering social classes in performances that date back centuries.

Don’t Miss: Highlights include the Tallori Daedongnanjang Parade, mask-making workshops, and folk game experiences. Join the massive locals’ campfire dance, and savor the local Andong Soju—a famously potent drink that offers perfect warmth against the chilly autumn air.

2. Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival (진주 남강유등축제)

(October 4 – October 19, 2025)

The Vibe: One of Korea’s most enchanting autumn events, featuring the fortress and river illuminated with light and memory. This breathtaking festival commemorates the historic battles at Jinjuseong Fortress across generations.

The Experience: The entire Namgang River is adorned with more than a thousand glowing silk lanterns, each carrying wishes, prayers, and tributes, ensuring that visitors leave with an everlasting memory of this beautiful event.

Don’t Miss: Make your own lantern and release it onto the water. The sight of countless lights floating into the night is utterly magical!

3. Jeonju Bibimbap Festival (전주 비빔밥 축제)

(October 24 – October 26, 2025)

The Vibe: Bibimbap, Jeonju’s signature dish, has evolved into a festival that celebrates food, culture, and storytelling. The Jeonju Bibimbap Festival is a vibrant event featuring cooking contests, tastings, parades, and night markets.

The Experience: Learn the philosophy of Obangsaek (the five colors of harmony), which makes bibimbap a nutritional masterpiece.

Don’t Miss: The Bibimbap Mixing Competitions! Roll up your sleeves and learn to craft the perfect bibimbap from master chefs. Then, of course, enjoy your delicious creation.

4. Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) (부산국제영화축제)

(September 17 – September 26, 2025)

The Vibe: Feel the pulse of Asian cinema under the stars—glamour, artistry, and cinematic excitement, all set against the backdrop of a vibrant port city.

The Experience: BIFF transforms the vibrant port city of Busan into a glamorous hub for directors, stars, and film buffs. The autumn weather is perfect for red-carpet events and outdoor screenings by the sea.

Don’t Miss: Catch a premiere of an indie Asian film. Explore the food stalls in BIFF Square, famous for their ssiat hotteok (seed-stuffed sweet pancakes).

5. Haman Nakhwa Nori Festival (함안 낙화놀이축제)

(October 16, 2025 (traditionally held in May))

Typically held in May, but scheduled in October 2025 to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan. 

The Vibe: A breathtaking and poignant spectacle, where the night sky and river are set ablaze with falling flowers of fire.

The Experience: This is not just a festival; it’s a moving historical reenactment. The festival commemorates a tragic battle during the Goryeo Dynasty / Imjin War. The ‘Nakhwa’ (falling flowers) represent the noblewomen of the castle who chose to leap into the river, clutching flowers, rather than be captured by the enemy. Today, this act is symbolized by a stunning fireworks display where thousands of fiery sparks are released from the cliffs of Byeongpungnu Pavilion, cascading like golden petals into the waters of the Nam River below. It’s a powerful blend of history, art, and remembrance.

Don’t Miss: The defining moment, the ‘Nakhwa Nori’ fireworks ceremony, is truly awe-inspiring. Participate by writing wishes on hanji (traditional Korean paper) and sending them down the river on small lotus lanterns. The surrounding historic sites and local delicacies, such as Haman sweet persimmons (gam), add to the authentic experience.

6. The Kimjang Spirit: Seoul’s Grand Kimchi Festival (김장축제)

(Late October – Early November)

The Vibe: A massive, communal celebration where the crisp autumn air is filled with the pungent, mouthwatering scents of garlic, ginger, and fermentation. Thousands of volunteers, locals, and tourists alike roll up their sleeves to participate in Korea’s most delicious tradition.

The Experience: While kimchi is eaten year-round, late autumn is Kimjang season, the time-honoured practice of preparing and sharing large quantities of kimchi to sustain communities through the winter. The Seoul Kimchi Festival turns this essential cultural ritual into an unforgettable hands-on experience. Imagine a sea of red chili flakes, mountains of freshly salted napa cabbage, and the joyful chaos of families and visitors working side by side to make kimchi that will be donated to those in need.

Don’t Miss: The incredible sight of thousands of heads of cabbage being transformed into kimchi in unison, learning proper techniques from kimchi masters, and getting your hands stained red with gochugaru (Korean chili powder). Best of all, the kimchi made at the festival is donated to vulnerable communities, allowing you to participate in a beautiful act of sharing while preserving a UNESCO-listed intangible cultural heritage.

South Korea in autumn is a living masterpiece. Venture beyond the Instagrammable foliage and step into the frame itself. Follow the lantern light as it dances on the water, answer the call of the drum that has echoed for centuries, and taste the season’s bounty—from the sweet tang of persimmon wine to the earthy crunch of freshly dug garlic. This is more than a trip; it’s a sensory pilgrimage to the soul of the season.

Written by – Trisha Deka

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