2025 Shrimp Paste Festival at Oepo Port: A Must-Visit Destination in Ganghwa
2025 Shrimp Paste Festival, Oepo Port
Must-Visit Place in Ganghwa
As October approaches, a representative autumn festival that always comes to mind is the 2025 Shrimp Paste Festival, a must-visit place in Ganghwa. This region accounts for a significant portion of the nation's shrimp production and is renowned for its exceptional quality. The shrimp caught here are characterized by their plump meat and thin shells, resulting in a unique savory flavor. This is why people flock here from all over the country during kimchi-making season.
During the festival, you can purchase fresh shrimp paste at affordable prices, as well as enjoy exciting song contests and various experiential events. Oepo Port is also popular as a day trip driving course since it is located near Seoul, only an hour and a half away by car. You can enjoy delicious food and a vibrant festival atmosphere all at once. Just hearing about the festival is already making my steps lighter and my heart flutter.
Here is some basic information to help you plan your visit.
Location
899-2 Haeanseo-ro, Naega-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon (Oepo-ri 547-77)
Dates
October 10, 2025 – October 12, 2025 (3 days)
Admission Fee
Free
Here are some tips for transportation & parking.
Parking
Use the parking lot at Oepo Port Seafood Market. We recommend arriving before 10 AM.
Public Transportation
Take a bus to Oepo-ri from Ganghwa Terminal.
By Car
Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from Seoul and the metropolitan area.
Important Notes
Traffic congestion is expected on weekends and during the festival period. We recommend using public transportation or visiting on a weekday morning.
It's a great day trip destination, about an hour and a half by car from Seoul and the metropolitan area. Parking is also available, making it convenient for families to visit. If you use public transportation, you can take a bus from Incheon to Ganghwa. Thanks to this, a big advantage is that you can enjoy the festival without a car. It is a representative autumn food festival near Seoul where you can enjoy the sea breeze, so I would like to recommend it to many people.
Here are some of the enjoyable parts of the festival.
Direct Market
This place accounts for 70% of the nation's production of autumn shrimp.
Experience Programs
Experience events such as shrimp catching, kimchi making, and shrimp paste making.
Family Programs
Attractions for children such as cotton candy making, traditional games, and face painting.
Performance Schedule
October 11 (Sat) 7 PM → Kim Hee-jae Performance & Fireworks
October 12 (Sun) → Hong Ji-yoon Stage
Another attraction of the 2025 Shrimp Paste Festival at Oepo Port in Ganghwa is the song contest. The annual song contest is open to general participants, and this time, a whopping 8 million won worth of prizes are at stake. Visitors to the festival can enjoy the exciting atmosphere while watching the song contest, and it's fun to cheer on the participants.
This is a material rich in minerals and has a good taste, so it is especially sought after during the kimchi season. During the festival period, you can purchase not only shrimp paste but also various salted seafood and local specialties at affordable prices.
The area around Oepo Port has many attractions, such as a vibrant fish market and mudflat scenery, making it a great place to explore together.
This is one of the best shrimp producing areas in the country. Every year, about 2,400 tons, which is 80% of the national production, is caught, and it is called one of the three major shrimp producing areas in the country along with Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do. The representative specialty of this place is made by fermenting this abundant catch in a cave.
It is one of the three major masterpieces along with ginseng and turnips, and people from all over the country flock to it during the kimchi season. The ability to purchase fresh products directly at the direct sales market is a great attraction, allowing you to enjoy the fun of travel and practical shopping at the same time.
Oepo Port Seafood Market
The center of the festival is, of course, the Oepo Port Seafood Market. Here, you can directly see and purchase fresh seafood and various salted seafood.
There are plenty of salted seafood, such as ojeot (May harvest shrimp paste), yukjeot (June harvest shrimp paste), and chujeot (autumn harvest shrimp paste), as well as salted seafood such as hairtail jeotgal and pollack roe jeotgal. It is good as a side dish that will whet your appetite if you put it on the table at home.
The dried shrimp you find at the direct sales market is full of sweetness and has a savory and chewy texture. Semi-dried fish are also sold by type, so if you put them in the freezer, they will be a reliable side dish all year round. Thanks to the freshness and reasonable prices that can only be found here, this is a corner that you must check out when you come to the festival.
The 2025 Shrimp Paste Festival in Ganghwa is characterized not only by its salty taste but also by its deep, savory flavor. The secret lies in the salt-curing and low-temperature aging method.
The deep and rich flavor can only be brought to life by aging it at a constant temperature for a long time. That's why it's famous during the kimchi season and consistently loved as a side dish at home.
The 2025 Shrimp Paste Festival in Ganghwa's Oepo Port is more than just a food market, it's a comprehensive festival that families can enjoy together. You can take a walk while watching the sea and spend a fulfilling day looking around the performances and experience booths held on site.
It is easily accessible by car from Seoul in about an hour and a half. So, during the festival period, it is a good day trip course to leave early in the morning, enjoy the festival at Oepo Port, look around other attractions, and return in the evening.
You can buy delicious food and enjoy the blue sea scenery, so you can enjoy healing and shopping at the same time.
If you are looking for a special travel destination this fall, I would like to recommend the 2025 Shrimp Paste Festival in Ganghwa. It is close to Seoul and the metropolitan area, about an hour and a half by car, so it is not a burden as a day trip destination. Ahead of the kimchi-making season, you can buy fresh shrimp and various salted seafood at reasonable prices, and you can also enjoy tasting them on the spot. Above all, a performance that will add to the festive atmosphere is waiting for you, with stages by Mr. Trot Kim Hee-jae and Hong Ji-yoon prepared to add to the excitement of the festival. In addition, there are various events that families can enjoy, such as shrimp catching experiences, so it is a great place to come with children and is also great as a date course for couples. This place, where a lively port landscape, generous food, and exciting performances come together, will be a satisfying travel destination no matter who you go with. I want to visit again with my friends this fall.
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