Korea Now: Seoul Events, K-pop & Local Guide | NowHitz

A tuna takes the stage

The headline act is a live tuna-dismantling show by Chef Yang Seung-ho, billed as the country's No. 1 tuna master. You watch the big body come apart cut by cut.

There is also 'Today I'm the Auction King': learn the hand signals used at the market's auctions, then join a real one.

Saturday night is a concert

After the 6 p.m. opening ceremony on Oct. 24, the BLUE SEA concert brings Kim Yeon-ja, Kim Hyun-jung, Im Da-un and Ryu Won-jeong. Before that come the Chung-Ang University cheer squad Hurassi, Soonsu Dance Company and the 'Hidden Singer 3 Leaders'.

Oct. 25 has Nodeul Song Festival winners, 'Sea Trot LIVE' with Kim So-yu, Hong Dan-bi and Shin Seung-tae, and the closing event 'SEE YOU, SEA!'.

Eat, shop, make something

A Suhyup direct-sale sea market sells specialty products from across the country. Food booths and food trucks fill the market area, and the restaurants inside the market take 50% off the table-setting fee during the festival.

Craft workshops make mood lamps, beach bags, bracelets and keyrings. Kids get a wave playground, urban surfing and a sea-fishing pond, plus 'Bada Olympics' games such as rubber-boot archery.

Before you go

The venue is Noryangjin Fish Market and the Noryangjin soccer field beside it, 688 Noldae-ro, Dongjak-gu. The opening ceremony is at 6 p.m. on Oct. 24.

Admission, per-programme times and parking have not been published. Check the Dongjak-gu notice again before you head out.

26 acts, split across two nights

Night one (Nov. 14) has 14 acts, including I.O.I, aespa, NCT DREAM, ATEEZ, RIIZE and TWS. I.O.I's slot is a reunion, about nine years on.

Night two (Nov. 15) brings 12, among them IVE, CORTIS, NCT 127, PLAVE, ILLIT and NCT WISH. Both shows start at 6 p.m.

How to get a ticket

Round 1 runs on Melon Ticket from 8 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 19. It is open to Melon members of MVIP, VIP or GOLD grade with a subscription of a year or more, and you can pick floor or stair seats.

Round 2 starts Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. for members holding a Melon subscription pass, with Round 1 cancellations and leftover seats. Each Melon ID can buy two tickets across both rounds.

What's new this year

The theme is “K-POP CONNECT: The New Pulse.” A new Global Top 10 award ties in with Global-K Chart, a China–Japan–Korea music index Melon built with Tencent Music and Line Music.

TOP10 voting for the main awards stays open until Oct. 29 on Melon's official page. The “Catch the Timing” promotion, running to Nov. 4, includes 224 MMA2026 invitations among its prizes.

Before you go

Gocheok Sky Dome is about 150 m straight ahead from Guil Station (Line 1) Exit 2 — roughly a three-minute walk. General parking is not available during events, so plan on transit.

No confirmed guidance on overseas cards or booking for fans abroad has been published. Check the booking screen and Melon Ticket notices.

123 works across five parks

The outdoor show of the 3rd Seoul Sculpture Festival places 123 works in five spots: Open Songhyeon Green Plaza, Ttukseom Hangang Park, Seoul Forest, Seoul Children's Grand Park and the Pungnap Fortress east wall. Seoul's news site lists the festival and outdoor exhibition as free.

The festival programs ended on Sept. 4, but the works stay until Nov. 30.

Jongno: 36 pieces on the lawn

Open Songhyeon Green Plaza in Jongno-gu holds 15 Seoul Sculpture Award winners and 21 invited works. It is about 300 m from Exit 1 of Anguk Station on Line 3.

There are benches, so it works as a walk with a rest stop.

On the Han: sculpture you sit on

Ttukseom Hangang Park in Gwangjin-gu has 31 pieces made to be sat on, lit up or played with. Jayang (Ttukseom Hangang Park) Station on Line 7, Exits 2 and 3, is closest.

After sunset the same works look different; one uses LED lighting.

Before you go

Scan the QR codes on the signboards for an audio guide. Evening programs such as the sculpture playground and busking ended in September.

The full map and artwork details are on the Sculpture City Seoul site (artinseoul.kr). For Songhyeon use Anguk Exit 1; for Ttukseom use Jayang Station.

Why this Sunday is the last one

The Ttubuk Ttubuk festival has run every Sunday for eight weeks, Sept. 6 to Oct. 25. This is the final one.

The Kyunghyang Shinmun reports that vehicle traffic on Jamsugyo will be fully banned from 00:00 on Oct. 26. It will be the first pedestrian-only bridge across the Han River.

From a 1976 road to a walking bridge

Jamsugyo opened as a road bridge in 1976. In 2008 two of its four lanes went to pedestrians and cyclists; now the rest follows.

You can still walk or cycle across during construction. Road paving in May-August next year will close the bridge to everyone. Plans also include 22 viewpoint areas and two glass-floor decks over the shipping channel.

What to eat and do on the 25th

Around 30 food trucks line up at the Moonlight Food Court every Sunday. The play zone, street-artist shows and the rainbow fountain (five 20-minute shows a day in October) are all there too.

A citizen reporter on Seoul's news site calls the 25th 'Jamsugyo Chicken Day', with several chicken brands in one place.

Before you go

The festival runs 2-10 p.m.; cars are kept off the bridge from noon to midnight. Parking at Banpo Hangang Park is tight and the city recommends public transit.

Buses 405 and 740 detour via Banpo Bridge. Some activities such as the Moonlight Workshop are paid, and the picnic-shelter tents need advance booking. Questions: Dasan Call Center, 120.

No ticket, any time

Naksan Park (41 Naksan-gil, Jongno-gu) is always open and free. The Naksan Exhibition Hall inside is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., also free.

Seoul's city media hub calls this wall path one of the city's signature sunset spots. As the sun sets, lights come on along the wall and the sunset slides straight into a night view.

Where Rumi and Jinu sat

On Seoul's official KPop Demon Hunters route, Naksan Park is the backdrop of the scene where Rumi and Jinu meet and open up about their pain.

Foreign visitors have grown with K-pop's popularity, and the filming spot gets crowded with people taking photos. That is why rows of people sitting along the wall at dusk keep showing up on social media.

2.1 km of wall, about an hour

The Seoul City Wall loops about 18.2 km over Bugaksan, Inwangsan, Namsan and Naksan. The Naksan section runs 2.1 km from Hyehwamun to Heunginjimun (Dongdaemun Gate), about an hour on foot.

Behind the Catholic University campus you can compare stones laid in different eras, each shaped differently.

Getting up there

The closest route is from Hyehwa Station (Line 4) Exit 2, about a 10-minute walk, uphill through the Ihwa-dong lanes.

To walk less, take village bus Jongno 03 from Dongdaemun Station Exit 5 or Changsin Station (Line 6) Exit 3 and get off at the Naksan terminal. Walking up along the wall from Dongdaemun Station Exit 1 takes about 21 minutes.

Before you go

Time your climb to the sunset and take it slowly, so you can stay until dusk turns to night.

The wall is a protected heritage site: do not climb onto it or damage it. If you drive, the park car park right below the central plaza has 29 spaces at 300 won per 10 minutes. Park office: 02-743-7985.

When and where

Local Trip Autumn Picnic runs Oct. 21 (Wed) to 25 (Sun), 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., on the rooftop of the Regional Tourism Antenna Shop, 119 Sejong-daero, Jung-gu. It is run by Seoul city and the Seoul Tourism Organization.

Admission is free and open to everyone. It is a one-minute walk from City Hall Station (Lines 1 and 2) Exit 3.

Seven regions on one rooftop

Seven local governments from around Korea bring regional food and drink pop-ups plus autumn travel and festival information. It is an easy way to pick your next trip outside Seoul.

Every day

Around lunchtime there is 'Guseok Guseok Live' busking (noon to 1 p.m. on the schedule). From 1 to 4 p.m. you can make a keyring of a regional landmark, 100 a day.

An 'autumn picnic lunchbox' stamp tour runs across the rooftop: collect five or more stamps for a fallen-leaf bookmark (200 a day).

Coupons and a treasure hunt

At 'Sopung ganeun gil' on the first-floor plaza, 3,000-won coupons for the food pop-ups are handed out daily from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. (100 a day).

In the basement travel hall there is a treasure hunt (30 clues a day) with regional tourism goods as prizes.

Local liquor on Friday and Saturday

On Oct. 23 (Fri) and 24 (Sat), 4 to 5 p.m., there is a tasting of regional traditional liquors; book ahead through the Antenna Shop's Google form.

Inquiries: 02-3788-0883.

When and where

The 2026 Starlight Festival, run by Seoul Science Center with the Nowon Astronomy & Space Science Center, takes place Oct. 24 (Sat) and 25 (Sun) at Seoul Science Center in Nowon-gu.

Saturday runs 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. with a night opening and stargazing; Sunday runs 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Look, listen, make

The center of it is public stargazing with experts. Around it: a relay of astronomy talks, science craft booths where you make your own starlight piece, a special exhibition and workshops by artists in residence, a mystery-planet exploration event and guided exhibition tours.

Booking only for some

Stargazing and the exhibitions need no booking. The talks, workshops and planet event take separate reservations; craft booths are booked on site. Advance bookings come with a souvenir.

If it rains, only the stargazing is cancelled; everything else goes ahead.

Getting there

It is near Hagye Station (Line 7) Exit 3; local buses 1141, 1132 and 1221 also stop nearby. Inquiries: 02-970-4581.

Dec. 11, last public day (planned)

The pair were born on July 7, 2023 to Aibao and Lebao, the first twin pandas born in Korea. Each now weighs about 90 kg.

An international agreement requires pandas born abroad to go to China before they turn four. The last public day is only "scheduled", so it can shift with conditions on site.

Still on view during quarantine

From Nov. 13 they spend about a month in pre-departure wildlife quarantine at the Panda Second House. Unlike their older sister Fu Bao, who was quarantined out of sight, the twins will meet visitors in a limited way in the indoor yard of this fully separated facility.

Viewing hours and methods will follow the twins' health. No detailed timetable has been released yet.

Farewell programme

In November there is a keeper talk concert with keepers Kang Cheol-won and Song Young-gwan, built around growth videos that have never been shown. The date and how to apply will be announced.

On site there is also a screening of footage tracing the twins' growth, and keeper-shot film-camera clips will appear on social media one by one.

Before you go

The move to China is planned for the third week of December; the exact date and place will be set by temperature and local conditions. If you want to see them, plan for before Dec. 11.

The schedule can change, so check Everland's official notice again before you go.

When and how

Jamsugyo Chicken Day runs Sunday, Oct. 25, from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Jamsu Bridge and in Banpo Hangang Park. It is the finale of this autumn's car-free Jamsu Bridge festival.

The chicken table has two sittings, at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., 90 minutes each, about 1,000 people at a time and 2,000 in total.

Book online, pay on the bridge

Seats at the table are booked online in advance. You choose a menu from the participating brands when booking and pay when you pick it up on the day.

At the entrance you get a wristband in a color for fried or yangnyeom (sweet-spicy) chicken. Booking details are on the festival site (festa-ddooddoo.com) and its social media.

Whose chicken

Ten brands take part: Gamachi Tongdak, Giyeongi Sutbul Dumari Chicken, Mom's Touch, Mexicana, BBQ, Jadam Chicken, Puradak, Oneul Tongdak, Banpo Chicken and Sokcho Manseok Dakgangjeong.

A 'K-Chicken Belt' map of chicken spots across Korea is on display too.

The 'chimmelier': 25 districts, 25 pieces

From 2 p.m. for 90 minutes, the 'Jamsugyo Chimmelier' panel of 100 Korean and foreign tasters samples 25 pieces of chicken from hidden spots in Seoul's 25 districts and rates them.

Foreigners can apply. You must be able to eat up to 25 pieces and have no soy or wheat allergy. Apply through the festival site or its social media.

Before you go

Festival entry is free (some food and activities cost extra). The whole bridge is closed to cars on Sundays from noon to midnight, so take public transport.

This is the last festival in the 'car-free Jamsu Bridge' format: from midnight on Oct. 26 the bridge closes to all vehicles for construction as a pedestrian bridge.

From the hanok village to Palgakjeong

The start is the Cheonugak pavilion at Namsangol Hanok Village. The route follows the Namsan Park path through the Jamdubong Photo Island to the Namsan Palgakjeong pavilion, about 3 km.

The walk runs from 7 to 9 p.m. Nobody is timed or ranked, so this is a stroll, not a race.

Seven hundred wristbands in a line

Walkers wear an LED band on the wrist, what the city calls a "Light Walk". Groups are small and leave one after another, with safety staff at key points.

Each session is capped at 700 people, 1,400 across both nights. A dark mountain path dotted with wrist lights is the whole pitch.

No advance booking

There is no pre-registration. Sign-up opens on the day at 6 p.m. at the Namsangol Hanok Village venue, first come, first served until the cap is reached.

The city hopes walkers will drift into the shops around Namsan afterwards. In the Jung-gu "Sangsaeng Yajang" visit-certification event, 20 participants are drawn to receive a mobile drink coupon.

Before you go

The first session is Wednesday, Oct. 21, the second Saturday, Nov. 21. Registration opens at 6 p.m. both days.

The press release does not state a fee. The nearest subway station is Chungmuro on Lines 3 and 4.

10,000 won a table, 20,000 for charcoal

The self-BBQ zone is priced per table: 10,000 won for a gas-burner hotplate, 20,000 won for charcoal. Grill, reusable dishes, cooking tools, sauces and water come included.

Korean beef, pork and leaf vegetables are sold on site at special prices. Three sessions a day start at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., 2.5 hours each.

Booking is closed, walk-ins remain

Pre-booking ran twice, on Sept. 16 and Oct. 6, through Naver Reservation, and the city's page marks both as closed. Some seats are kept first-come, first-served for on-site visitors.

About 28,000 people came over two days last year. The city's tourism bureau chief said the event confirmed that K-BBQ can be "an attractive way for foreign tourists as well as citizens to experience Seoul."

Don't want to grill? Just eat

BBQ Village brings in seven Seoul meat restaurants, open 12:00 to 19:30. You pay at a kiosk and pick up your food.

BBQ Masters is a chef-led barbecue show, twice a day at 12:30 and 5:30 p.m. Herald Business reports that chefs from 'Culinary Class Wars' take part.

More than meat

The BBQ Stage runs gugak-meets-EDM sets, busking and a brass band from noon to 8 p.m. Seoro Market sells farm and regional products from 10 regions.

A Seoul-style kids cafe is free from 12:00 to 17:00. One report also mentions a meat discount for visitors with a receipt from nearby Mangwon Market.

Before you go

The official page lists no parking and recommends public transport. A shuttle (1,200 won a ride) leaves Digital Media City Station, Line 6, Exit 2; another route starts at Mangwon Hangang Park parking lot 1.

The organizers' office answers questions at 070-8789-5600 (10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed for lunch and holidays).

When do the leaves turn?

Colour usually starts at mountain summits in mid-October, peaks from late October to early November, then moves south.

Timing differs by altitude and terrain even inside the same national park, so check foliage and trail information before you go.

Five trail grades

National park trails are rated in five difficulty grades. Check distance, slope, time needed and surface, then pick one that suits you.

Check the weather and pack hiking shoes, spare clothes, water and snacks. Temperatures swing with the hour and the altitude, so layer up.

Going down is the risky part

Shorten your stride on fallen leaves, wet rock and wooden stairs. Stay on the trail and inside safety facilities even when taking photos.

Fatigue makes descents slippery. Leave enough time to be down before sunset.

How to walk flat, up and down

The park institute's Mountain Safety Education Center recommends 'rhythm walking' on flat ground, 'rest-step walking' uphill (briefly straighten the back leg to rest), and 'knee-cushion walking' downhill (soft bent knees).

On steep slopes, zigzag down.

Before you go

With high blood pressure or a heart condition, use the rest areas and don't push. Service chairman Joo Dae-young urged visitors to pick trails that match their fitness and experience and to prepare well.

Questions go to the Mountain Safety Education Center at +82-2-956-3336.