Jukbyeon Port Seafood Festival 2026: fish by hand · Hidden Festival №3

The Jukbyeon Port Seafood Festival runs from Friday, November 6 to Sunday, November 8, 2026, around Jukbyeon Port in Uljin County, on Korea’s east coast. Entry is free, and the listed hours are 11:00 to 19:00 (Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism festival listing, checked 2026-10-27).

Our third Hidden Festival pick in English is a working fishing port that spends a weekend letting visitors in on the catch.

What kind of festival is it

Uljin County’s seafood festival is run by the Uljin County Festival Development Committee and built around fresh seafood from the Uljin coast, with hands-on programs, shows and auctions. The official listing describes it as a meeting point for local fishers and visitors, and a way to show off Jukbyeon’s catch.

What to do

The listing names these as the main programs:

• Bare-hand fish catching: catch a live fish with your hands.
• Seafood breakdown show: seafood cut up on stage in front of the crowd.
• Mulhoe performance: mulhoe is a Korean cold soup of sliced raw fish.
• Sea workshop: craft activities on a sea theme.

Through the festival there is also a parade of fishing boats against the sea and an on-the-spot seafood auction. Booths around the port sell local seafood and Uljin specialty products.

If you only do one thing, make it the bare-hand catch.

The opening concert

Trot singers Park Seo-jin, Park Hyun-bin and Park Ju-hee are listed for the opening celebration concert. Trot is a Korean pop style with a long history and a devoted following. Check the stage schedule closer to the date for the concert time.

Entry

The festival is free to walk into. You pay for what you eat and buy.

Getting there

The festival is centered on Jukbyeon Port in Jukbyeon-myeon, Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province. Uljin is on the east coast, well away from Seoul, so plan on a night by the sea rather than a day trip.

For buses, parking and the stage timetable, check Uljin County’s website or call the festival committee at 054-789-5485 before you go.

Before you go

For data, an eSIM is the easy answer. Superalink is a Korean eSIM company; set it up before you travel and it works the moment you land. Superalink has a 20% discount for Every Ticket readers.

Five apps run a Korea trip: NAVER Map, Konest, Kakao T, WOWPASS and Papago. Every Ticket, the app I am building, is the sixth. Five to run the trip, one to keep it. When you reach the port a pin drops on its own and the day’s route is recorded. Photograph the fish you caught once and it goes onto the day’s card. Recording runs in the background without draining your battery, and the card is built on your phone, not on a server.

Dates and programs can change. Check Uljin County’s official site (uljin.go.kr) or call 054-789-5485 before you go.

FAQ

When is the Jukbyeon Port Seafood Festival 2026?

November 6 to 8, 2026, Friday to Sunday. The listed hours are 11:00 to 19:00.

Is it free?

Yes. Entry is free. You pay for the seafood and local products you buy at the booths.

Where is it held?

Around Jukbyeon Port in Uljin County, North Gyeongsang Province, on Korea's east coast. The festival's main stage is at the port.

What can you do there?

The main programs are catching live fish with your bare hands, a seafood breakdown show, a mulhoe (cold raw fish soup) performance and sea craft workshops. There is also a fishing boat parade and an on-the-spot seafood auction.

Who performs at the opening concert?

Trot singers Park Seo-jin, Park Hyun-bin and Park Ju-hee are listed for the opening celebration concert.