Hongseong Namdanghang Jumbo Shrimp Festival 2026: Seafood Guide

Held along the scenic mudflats and calm waters of Cheonsuman Bay on South Korea’s western coast, the Hongseong Namdanghang Jumbo Shrimp Festival celebrates its 31st annual gathering from September 4 through November 8, 2026. Taking place at the historic fishing harbor of Namdanghang in Hongseong County, Chungcheongnam-do, this two-month culinary event is renowned nationwide as the premier autumn showcase for Korean jumbo shrimp (daeha). Travelers seeking authentic seafood feasts can savor plump, succulent shrimp roasted over coarse sea salt while enjoying coastal sea breezes and spectacular Yellow Sea sunsets.

Cheonsuman Bay offers an ecologically rich marine habitat where tidal nutrients allow coastal prawns to grow tender, firm, and naturally sweet. In Korean culinary culture, autumn prawns are prized not only for their mouthwatering flavor but also for their high nutritional value, packed with calcium, taurine, and chitosan. To guarantee consumer confidence, the festival organizing committee and merchant associations enforce standardized, fixed pricing throughout local dining establishments and fish markets. This detailed visitor guide covers event schedules, culinary traditions, interactive activities, and practical travel logistics for global food lovers.

Hongseong Namdanghang Jumbo Shrimp Festival: Key Details and Overview

Logistical overview and administrative facts to guide your seaside culinary trip:

• Event Name: The 31st Hongseong Namdanghang Jumbo Shrimp Festival
• Festival Period: September 4 (Friday) – November 8 (Sunday), 2026 (Open daily for 66 days)
• Market & Dining Hours: 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM daily (Individual restaurants open until late evening)
• Venue Location: Namdanghang Port, 1-1 Namdanghang-ro 213beon-gil, Seobu-myeon, Hongseong-gun, Chungcheongnam-do
• Admission Cost: Free entry to the port and festival plaza (Shrimp dining, retail packages, and specific workshops priced separately)
• Standardized Pricing: Dine-in restaurant price approximately 50,000 KRW per kilogram; Takeout fresh shrimp approximately 35,000–38,000 KRW per kilogram (Standard committee rates)
• Organizing Body: Hongseong Namdanghang Festival Organizing Committee
• Inquiry Contact: +82-10-5433-8196

Signature Culinary Experiences and Festival Programs

Namdanghang transforms into a bustling seaside bazaar where fresh catches, live performances, and modern harbor recreation harmonize.

The culinary cornerstone of the festival is Daeha Sogeum-gui (salt-grilled jumbo shrimp). Freshly harvested prawns are placed directly on a bed of heated sea salt inside a wide covered skillet. As the shells turn a bright reddish-orange, the shrimp retain their tender moisture and subtle oceanic sweetness. Diners can also sample golden shrimp tempura, spicy blue crab seafood noodles (haemul kalguksu), and grilled gizzard shad (jeoneo), another quintessential autumn delicacy along the west coast.

For spirited family fun, the Bare-Handed Shrimp Catching Experience invites participants of all ages into shallow saltwater pools to capture lively swimming prawns with bare hands. Held primarily on weekends, this entertaining competition yields freshly caught shrimp that participants can immediately take to local cooking stalls for roasting. The festival stage also hosts lively weekend trot concerts featuring prominent Korean vocalists such as Park Hyun-bin and Bin Ye-seo, accompanied by amateur singing contests and flash seafood auctions.

Beyond dining, the newly renovated Namdanghang Ocean Fountain Park offers whimsical 3D trick-art murals, children’s net adventure playgrounds, and scenic walking piers. As dusk approaches, visitors congregate on the elevated Namdanghang Sunset Observatory, which extends out over the mudflats to deliver panoramic sunset views across Cheonsuman Bay.

Traveler Advice and Transportation Recommendations

Namdanghang is accessible from Seoul via the Seohaean Expressway (taking the Hongseong Interchange), requiring approximately two hours of driving time. Spacious municipal parking lots serve the harbor area free of charge, though arriving before 11:30 AM on October weekends is highly advisable to avoid traffic backups along the coastal approach road.

Public transit travelers can board express buses from Seoul Central City Terminal to Hongseong Intercity Bus Terminal (approximately two hours), then transfer to local rural bus No. 270 or take a twenty-minute taxi directly to Namdanghang Port. When purchasing fresh shrimp to take home, merchants provide insulated styrofoam coolers packed with fresh ice packs to ensure maximum freshness during transit.

Travelers eager to explore additional Korean regional delicacies and cultural festivities this autumn can also read our guides to the Jinan Red Ginseng Festival and the Namsangol Chuseok Festival Moonlight Madang.

You can also compare plans for Goyang Lake Arts Festival and Inje Autumn Flower Festival, which take place during the same festival season.

Official Inquiries and Announcements

For real-time shrimp market pricing, weekend entertainment rosters, and harbor weather updates, please consult the Hongseong County Culture & Tourism Portal.