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Gwangju Biennale 2026: tickets, venues + day trip by KTX
5 Sep–15 Nov in Gwangju. Adult ticket price, what's free, KTX from Seoul, getting to the exhibition hall, and opening hours. Checked on the official site 1 Oct 2026.
1 Oct 2026 · 9 min
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Jarasum Jazz Festival 2026: tickets, getting there + what to know
9–11 Oct on Jarasum Island, Gapyeong. Ticket prices and how to buy on YES24, the Ggotgama shuttle from Seoul, camping, and free stages in town. Checked on the official site, 30 Sep 2026.
30 Sep 2026 · 9 min
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Suwon Hwaseong Festival 2026: dates, royal procession + day trip from Seoul
4–11 Oct at Suwon Hwaseong. What's free, which night shows need booking, the 4 Oct royal procession, and getting there from Seoul. Checked on the official site, 29 Sep 2026.
29 Sep 2026 · 7 min
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Seoul Over Chuseok 2026: What's On, What's Free, and What's Better Than an Empty Restaurant
Chuseok holidays are 24–26 September 2026. Seoul does not shut entirely — here is a shortlist from the live calendar for 19–27 September, with free/paid notes, one gotcha each, and links out if you would rather leave town. Checked 18 September 2026.
18 Sep 2026 · 3 min
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Andong Mask Dance Festival 2026: It Opens on Chuseok Eve, the Station Moved, and Half of It Is Free
The Andong Mask Dance Festival runs 24 September to 4 October 2026 across the old station grounds in the city centre and Hahoe Village. The gate ticket is 8,000 won and comes with a 2,000 won coupon; the street parade and Hahoe's daily mask dance cost nothing. Seoul is two and a half hours by bus, 24,400 won, but the first three days are the Chuseok holiday. Checked on the city's and the operators' pages, 18 September 2026.
17 Sep 2026 · 7 min
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Jinju Lantern Festival 2026: Getting There From Seoul, When the River Lights Up, and the Last Train Home
The Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival runs 3 to 18 October 2026, with lanterns lit from 18:00 to midnight along the river below the fortress. Entry was free last year. Seoul is three and a half hours away by KTX at 52,700 won or by express bus at 34,500, and the last train back on opening night leaves at 20:05. Checked on the operators' pages, 17 September 2026.
17 Sep 2026 · 6 min
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Fine Dust in Korea: The Air Got Better, and Two Apps Will Give You Two Answers
Seoul's PM2.5 average has fallen about 40% since 2006. The confusing part is that Korea and the United States draw the line between 'good' and 'moderate' in different places, so the same air reads differently depending on which app you open.
9 Sep 2026 · 6 min
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What Korean Winter Actually Feels Like, and What to Pack
Seoul's January averages minus two, and the country issues a formal cold-wave advisory at minus twelve. It is also drier than you expect. Layers beat one thick coat, because indoors is hot.
31 Aug 2026 · 3 min
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Hiking a Seoul Mountain, the Way Locals Do It
Seoul has real mountains on the subway, and the city lends foreign visitors boots and poles for free. Which peak to pick, the weeks the trails are shut, and the ID rule that stopped applying in 2024.
31 Aug 2026 · 4 min
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What closes for Chuseok 2026? Shops, banks, trains
24–26 September 2026: chains and convenience stores stay open; family restaurants often shut; KTX sells out weeks ahead. Checked 30 August 2026.
30 Aug 2026 · 2 min
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Autumn Colour in Korea: Where It Starts and When It Reaches Seoul
Korea's autumn is not one date. Colour arrives in the northern mountains in early October and reaches Seoul weeks later, so the city is at the end of the season, not the middle. Written August 2026, before the official forecast.
30 Aug 2026 · 2 min