The West Sea breeze is waking Jeongok Port once again.
Picture traditional Korean sailing ships unfurling their sails, sleek yachts catching the light, and nights alive with music and fireworks. The Hwaseong Boat Festival sets sail for a four-day run from the 22nd through the 25th.
Selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a 2026–2027 Korea Cultural Tourism Festival, this year marks the festival’s 16th edition. Now linked to the newly opened West Coast route known as the Golden Coastal Road, the event is asserting itself as the region’s must-see maritime celebration.
The big draw this year is an expanded menu of sea-focused experiences. Roughly 70 vessels across 12 categories—from restored Joseon-era envoy ships to modern yachts, powerboats, cruise vessels, themed pirate boats and even dog-friendly yachts—will populate the waters around Jeongok Port.
The Joseon Tongsinsa vessel, reconstructed by the National Marine Heritage Research Institute, will operate as a floating museum during the festival, giving visitors a hands-on history experience. New offerings include a yacht route linking Jebudo Island and Jeongok Port, a flyboard performance, and a nighttime fireworks-boarding program—special experiences you can only have out at sea.
When night falls, Jeongok Port transforms.
The lineup crosses generations and genres: EDM, modern takes on traditional Korean music, trot, LED spectacles and an OST concert performed by a 40-piece orchestra will energize the evenings. A “Wind Envoys” parade featuring about 400 local participants, plus street performances, will add to the festival’s festive momentum.
Every night of the festival, fireworks will brighten Jeongok Port’s sky. New this year is a program that lets attendees watch the display from yachts, offering a more immersive evening experience.
The onshore program is just as inviting.
Families can try hands-on activities around Jeongok Port such as traditional trap-net fishing, mudflat exploration, wind-powered boat building, large-scale community drawing, chalk art, bubble dance and boat-pulling contests—interactive events designed for parents and kids to enjoy together.
The festival’s operating approach is notable, too.
Organizers are marketing it as a “Four-No” festival—no litter, no safety incidents, no excessive protocol and no price gouging—and have reached agreements with local merchants to pre-disclose and honor set prices. Food truck placements will be coordinated so menus don’t compete with nearby businesses, a move intended to support the local economy.
An organizer explained that the Jeongok Port festival used to focus mainly on boat and yacht displays and relied on support from Gyeonggi Province. After many exhibition functions moved to KINTEX, the event was sometimes called a “half-event.” Now, with Hwaseong designated as a special city, the goal is to evolve the festival beyond static displays into a true maritime celebration where residents and visitors can actively experience and enjoy the sea.
He added that this year’s maritime offerings have been significantly expanded—from traditional sailing ships to yachts, powerboats, dog-friendly cruises and the nighttime fireworks-boarding program—and that the festival aims to let citizens directly feel Jeongok Port’s role as a leading maritime tourism hub on the West Coast.
