Korean Food Day 2026: HANSIK FESTA and Seoul Food Groups

Korea now has an official national day for its cuisine, and the first one lands in the middle of the autumn travel season. For agents selling food-led programmes, that is a news hook with a fixed date. Our Korea team has the full event details in its Korean Food Day and HANSIK FESTA notes. This note is for agents deciding which groups it suits and how to quote it.

What Has Been Announced?

• The day. 24 October is Korean Food Day, legally designated for the first time in 2026.
• The festival. HANSIK FESTA runs from 23 to 25 October 2026 at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, in the main auditorium and around the Mirror Pond.
• The organisers. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs run it together.
• The programme. A ceremony and a conference on 23 October, then cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, performances, restaurant pop-ups and a market of ingredients, desserts and tableware.

Which Groups Does It Suit?

• Culinary and gourmet groups. A national food event gives a Seoul food programme a headline.
• Hospitality and culinary schools. Demonstrations by chefs and a conference on Korean cuisine abroad suit study tours.
• Media and familiarisation trips. A first national event gives writers and buyers a reason to travel on those dates.
• Incentive groups already in Seoul. A museum visit and a food market fit an afternoon between other programme days.

How Do You Quote It?

• Treat access as unconfirmed. Advance registration for the hands-on programmes opened on 12 October through an online form, first come, first served. Whether a whole group can register is not stated, so we confirm before we quote.
• Print no times or prices. The ministry release gives no daily hours or admission terms.
• Keep a back-up. If group places are not available, we build the same food theme from a cooking class or a kimchi workshop.
• Allow time. A first national event is likely to draw crowds, so we plan a relaxed schedule around it.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Korean Food Day and HANSIK FESTA?

Korean Food Day is 24 October. HANSIK FESTA runs from 23 to 25 October 2026 at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.

Can a tour group take part in the cooking classes?

Advance registration for the hands-on programmes opened on 12 October, first come, first served. The release does not say whether a whole group can register, so we check with the organisers before we quote.

Is there an entry fee?

The ministry release does not state admission terms or prices, so we print none. We confirm them for your group before we quote.

What if our group arrives after 25 October?

The festival does not run outside those three days. We build the same food theme from a cooking class, a kimchi workshop or a royal-court cuisine lunch in Seoul.

Sources

• Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, press release, 7 October 2026 (Korean)
• The Korea Times, first Korean Food Day festival, 7 October 2026

Where Explera Fits

Our Korea team checks access with the organisers, books the coach, guide and group meals, and fits the festival into a longer Korea programme.

Write to b2b@explera.kr or message +66 93 656 8090 on WhatsApp. Explera DMC is IATA TIDS-registered (96215733) and an ASTA member (900408341); our KTO and KATA registrations are in application.