Latest Events in South Korea: Concerts, Shows, Tours, Calendar&Tickets (July Updated)

Jeon Hyung-pil, a Jiansong scholar, has devoted his life to protecting Korean cultural heritage. These cultural heritages make Koreans proud of their history and culture. When I came into contact with the works exhibited at the Jiansong Art Museum in Daegu, I realized the value of Korean art. I hope this will be a moment of reflection.

The modern art in the Leeum Museum of Art covers international art trends from Korean modern and contemporary art to Asian and Western modern art, and is the result of the Samsung Cultural Foundation's long-standing belief and passion for the development of Korean culture and art. In 2025, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Samsung Cultural Foundation, the Leeum, Samsung Museum of Art, provides a place for people to appreciate its collection of modern art from a new perspective. The focus of this exhibition is not on representative collections of well-known museums, but on works that have never been made public. In addition, new works recently acquired by the museum are introduced to enrich the artistic dialogue that reflects the changing times. The exhibition is not arranged chronologically or thematically, but encourages the audience to discover more relationships between works through visual or conceptual juxtaposition, thus creating a multi-layered, non-linear artistic experience. The opening works of the exhibition include Auguste Rodin's The Burghers of Calais, Alberto Giacometti's Lady Giant III, and Jan Bo's Our Country (Part), echoing the history and identity of the Leeum collection that connects modern and contemporary art. Starting with the wonderful encounter with paintings by Mark Rothko and Zhang Xuzhen, to the major works of modern masters Sol LeWitt, Richard Deacon, Carl Andre, and Robert Rauschenberg, which were made public for the first time since the opening of the Leeum, as well as the recently acquired works of Louise Nevelson, Hannah Darboven, and Lee Bontesseu, they complement each other and further enrich the depth and breadth of the art collection of the Leeum. In addition, the architecturally transformed M2 exhibition space will provide visitors with a special visual experience, allowing them to explore the space and works in a whole new way. Through this exhibition, we hope to examine the evolution and changes of modern art through the collections accumulated by Leeum Art Museum over the past decades, reflect on the contemporary context and artistic significance of the works, and feel the complex levels of art through the multi-level dialogue between the works. - Leeum Art Museum

The Guyin Photography Museum will host its first two-person exhibition "A Tale of Two Cities" in 2025, co-organized by photographer Josef Scholz (b. 1966), who currently lives in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Italian photographer Paolo Ventura (b. 1968). The exhibition captures the common theme of "city and architecture" from different perspectives, exhibiting about 40 photographs and two video works that combine digital technology and painting techniques. The exhibition title "A Tale of Two Cities" is inspired by the title of Charles Dickens' novel of the same name, based on the different descriptions of two cities. Just like the contrasting descriptions of the two cities of London and Paris in the revolutionary whirlwind in the novel, the exhibition also presents the two photographers' interpretation and reinterpretation of the city from different perspectives. Josef Scholz and Paolo Ventura not only record the urban landscape in their own way, but also cut into the two common concepts of "city" and "architecture". It also demonstrates the potential of the photographic medium through experimental methods that combine digital technology and painting techniques, and provides an opportunity to explore the urban space we live in.

Around the 2000s, a new focus and tone on archives emerged in the field of documentation and the contemporary art scene in Korea. With the truth-finding movement on the sacrifices and human rights violations in Korea's tortuous modern history of the last century, the value of private records, namely manuscripts, that are not captured by public records, has been re-evaluated. In addition, critical and alternative practices have been carried out on archives that support official history and memory. Contemporary art has also accepted critical theories of archives, and through the generation and reorganization of records, events or objects that are not covered by institutions or mainstream media are socially publicized. Over the past 20 years, manuscript- and archive-based work has formed a common terrain, excavating marginalized and suppressed events and objects and restoring them to social memory. This exhibition is combined with the institutional theme "Action" of the Seoul Museum of Art in 2025, which aims to examine the social value and practical mechanism of records. From today's perspective, the trend of what used to be called archival art, and manuscript history. These two trends continue to update critical discourses on archives while forming counter-memory. Especially today, when the proliferation of digital technology and communication has made instant information production a daily routine, and misinformation and alternative facts are rampant, recent domestic and international conflicts, disputes, disasters, etc. have raised the complex issue of "how to record and interpret the present." In such contemporary issues, beyond reproduction and preservation, we think about the social role of contemporary art and archives as memory institutions to restore social memory and reveal diverse voices. The title of the exhibition "We Keep Penetrating into Different Rivers" draws on the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus (535-475 BC)'s motto "You can't step into the same river twice", emphasizing that records are not permanent, but an ongoing process of encountering current consciousness through reading and perception. The exhibition is composed of "delayed memory", "witness records", and "thrown narratives" based on the meticulous contact and three-dimensional relationship with events or objects. "Delayed Memory" displays works related to the history of modern and contemporary Korean history and the history of suppressed communities, and exhibits related to the records of the Democratization Movement Memorial Foundation and the Korean Queer Archive Queerarch. "Witnessed Records" presents the Jeju April 3 Incident and the issue of "comfort women" of the Japanese military, which have not been revealed for a long time after the incident, through the collection records of the Jeju April 3 Peace Foundation and the Seoul Art Archives, and works that form an emotional space through meticulous documentary records. "Thrown Narratives" presents works that are rooted in real-life issues and archives, but construct new narratives in their missing spaces, liberating areas obscured by social conventions or boundaries and one-sided discourses. "We Keep Infiltrating Different Rivers" aims to recognize the activism of records from multiple perspectives through the process of constantly reconstructing and reinterpreting records of the past and present, arousing our memories, emotions and consciousness, and prompting us to take action for the future.

A creative exhibition that goes beyond imagination and awakens your inner artistic perception.

A relaxing walk, a purple sky at dawn, A weekend afternoon bike ride, admiring the moon in all its shapes. The city is noisy, but the mind keeps moving forward Perhaps the closest unframed artwork is nature. You haven't noticed yet Introducing a world like a movie. The sky you look up at when leaving the exhibition hall Witness the moment that becomes a special scene face to face.

150 years ago, the Impressionist movement overturned the way people perceived the world. In the 21st century, Jonathan Belten's photographs contain the vividness of 19th century paintings. Look at the same sky every day, walk on the same streets, and meet familiar faces. Then, at a certain moment, the scenery that you are accustomed to suddenly presents itself in a completely new way. Belten calls it "super daily". Here, "seeing", the oldest way of understanding the world, is shaken by super daily experiences. To see things differently is to live differently. Start your first conversation with the scenery that you once passed by silently.

We want to remember many moments in our lives. We engrave those memories in our hearts, and sometimes we leave them in a form that we can hold in our hands. Commemoration begins with the desire not to forget precious moments. Souvenirs are small evidences of those feelings. Among the overflowing commemorations and souvenirs today, aren’t we forgetting the true meaning of commemoration? To ask ourselves the meaning of commemoration again, we look into the object called a souvenir. The desire to leave behind a special moment, The desire to share memories together, The earnest desire to hold the memories of my life in my hands. Let’s look back at the meaning of commemoration contained in a small object. What is a souvenir to you?

The National Museum of Korea will hold a special exhibition titled (tentative title) in June 2025. This exhibition covers the 200 years of art and culture from the establishment of the new nation of Joseon in 1392 to the outbreak of the Imjin War in 1592. During this period, the new dynasty led society and culture in a new space called ‘Hanyang’ with a new ruling power called the ‘Sadaebu’. Internally, as the Confucian ideology system was combined with the shadow of the previous era, Goryeo, the literary arts centered around the royal family and the sadaebu blossomed, and the handicraft system developed in earnest with the maturation of technology and the reorganization of the national system. Externally, various arts developed through international exchanges while being influenced by the East Asian relationship between the Ming Dynasty of China and the Muromachi shogunate of Japan. This exhibition covers various visual materials such as paintings and ceramics, Buddhist paintings and sculptures, books, and printing types from the 15th and 16th centuries. Through this, we will be able to examine the diversity, high aesthetic and technical achievements, and rich tastes of Joseon’s early art, which emerged as a new nation during this period. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of liberation, the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between Korea and Japan, and the 20th anniversary of the relocation of the National Museum of Korea to Yongsan. To mark this memorable year, we will look back on the peak of East Asian culture achieved by the new nation Joseon and draw the ideals of the era we will advance into.

To commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the normalization of relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan, the National Museum of Korea and the Tokyo National Museum have joined forces to present Japanese Art from Four Perspectives, a special exhibition that shines a new light on Japanese art through four unifying themes. Through the years, these two institutions have closely collaborated on numerous projects aimed at promoting understanding of their respective histories and cultures. These efforts have have now led to this momentous exhibition illuminating Japanese art for a Korean audience. Featuring sixty-two works specially selected by the Tokyo National Museum and the National Museum of Korea, the exhibition is designed to immerse visitors in both the visual beauty and emotional sentiment of Japanese art. To this end, Japanese art is considered from four fascinating perspectives, in terms of its splendid ornamentation (kazari), the contrasting aesthetics of restraint (hankazari), emotions related to the ephemeral transformations of nature (aware), and a light-hearted spirit of humor and leisure (asobi). Here, these four elements are organically interwoven to reflect the lives and worldview of the Japanese people. Thus, the exhibition offers the unique opportunity to experience not only the visual allure of Japanese art, but also the profound insight and emotion that it embodies. It is our hope that these four fundamental perspectives will help to provide visitors with a deeper appreciation of Japanese art and a broader understanding of Japanese culture as a whole.

The 20th Busan International Magic Festival "Magic Convention" will be held, and the strongest magician will be selected from 23 new magicians from 5 countries around the world. The sea, baseball, movies, seafood. Looking forward to adding a touch of magic to it. If you go to Busan now, you will definitely fall in love with this magic that transcends time and space. The Busan Metropolitan City and the Busan International Magic Festival Organizing Committee will hold the "Magic Convention" at the Seoul Cinema Hall from the 19th to the 22nd. This event is one of the 20th Busan International Magic Festival, which will last until December this year and will be held at the Seoul Cinema Hall, Busan Citizens' Hall, Haeundae Gunam Road, etc.

The Seoul Museum of Art has announced the three artistic directors of the 13th Seoul Mediacity Biennale, which will be held from August 26 to November 30 next year. They are artist and filmmaker Anton Vidokle, curator and art historian Hallie Ayres, and film curator Lukas Brasiskis. The three were selected from 66 international open calls for applications. They proposed the concept of "exhibition-as-séance" and aim to "break away from the concept of biennials under contemporary neoliberalism and construct an enhanced experience where awakened life and the intertwined world of the superhuman arena". They point out that "these ideas are related to some important contemporary discourses, from feminism to indigenous struggles, from anti-capitalism to postcolonialism", and they plan to use "the aesthetics of spiritualism and animism to critically intervene in dominant discourses such as capitalism, materialism, postcolonialism and contemporary technology".

The Muju Firefly Festival is to conserve fireflies that are gradually dying out due to ecological pollution. The Tourism Bureau has specially designated it as one of the country's important cultural tourism festivals.

Sorae Port is a natural port located in the metropolitan area, and the Sorae Port Festival is a marine ecological festival held here. Participants in the festival can visit Sorae Wetland Ecological Park, Shrimp Tower, Sunrise Lake, etc., and experience catching prawns, swimming crabs and other aquatic products, as well as a variety of cultural performances and activities.

The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition is one of the largest exhibitions that is known widely for featuring aerospace products and services, defense equipments, aircrafts equipments, ground equipments, defense systems and other services and technologies The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition is one of the largest exhibitions that is known widely for featuring aerospace products and services, defense equipments, aircrafts equipments, ground equipments, defense systems and other services and technologies. The event has been witnessing delegates from all around the world and with its amazing display of equipments and products, pays tribute to defense and aerospace industries. It is an international exhibition that has been featuring all professionals from the industry under one roof. Information Source: Korea Aerospace Industries Assosiation | expotobi

KORMARINE Expo is an International Shipbuilding & Marine Equipment Exhibition is the important panel for decision makers from all shipbuilding nations KORMARINE Expo is an International Shipbuilding & Marine Equipment Exhibition is the important panel for decision makers from all shipbuilding nations: shipowner, top manager engineers and technicians meet in Korea to exchange the newest information and to make trend-setting decisions. Information Source: Reed K. Fairs Exhibitions, K. Fairs Ltd | expotobi

Around 1467, the Joseon royal family established a royal porcelain kiln in Gwangju, Gyeonggi-do, to produce white porcelain for the palace. Geumsari was in operation from 1734 to 1751. Geumsari is famous for producing milky white porcelain and moon jars. Through the fragments collected from Geumsari, we can see white porcelains made in Geumsari, such as moon jars.

This exhibition features 27 works by 19 artists. It exhibits works by a number of contemporary artists, including Takashi Murakami, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Othonier and Julien Opie. It focuses on real-life issues and illuminates topics involving social dilemmas through various forms of contemporary art such as painting, sculpture, and installation. The goal is to explore various issues from the perspective of the writer and to spark new conversations, rather than one correct answer. The title of this exhibition, "Ditto and Veto," is a combination of two seemingly contradictory words, combining "Ditto" (same) with "Veto" (Latin, prohibition). As the title suggests, the exhibition aims to explore the nature of social conflict through the messages conveyed by artists in the positive and negative oppositional structures that exist in modern society, and to present a more complex perspective that transcends the boundaries of the dichotomy.

As the sun sets over Jeju's Old Town, the ancient venues of Jeju Muwana come alive with light, sound and cultural energy. The Jeju Muwana Night Tour, also known as "Gyullim Yahaeng" (귤림야행), invites visitors to travel through centuries of Joseon history illuminated by citrus-colored lights. Held on select evenings between May and October, this immersive experience blends traditional storytelling, live traditional performances and contemporary styles in a setting that was once the heart of Jeju's governance.

Manor Blanc is a botanical garden/arboretum in Seogwipo City with beautiful gardens. This place is celebrating the European Hydrangea Festival this year and last year. The festival period is from May to August. It is located at the southernmost tip of Korea, so the open-field hydrangea is the fastest blooming in Korea. About 7,000 hydrangeas of 30 varieties from around the world, including Jeju hydrangeas, can only be found at Manor Blanc. Compared to last year, the variety of hydrangeas has increased, and various hydrangeas cultivated with love and care can be seen all over Manorblanc. In addition, the wonderful view of the sea in all four seasons between Brother Island and Sambangsan and Songaksan can only be found at Manor Blanc.

This year, the festival will expand its food trucks from 15 to 25, with 12 to 13 teams rotating every two weeks to provide more development opportunities for small businesses. The event aims to enhance the competitiveness of small Korean cuisine businesses and showcase a wider variety of Korean cuisine to tourists. The food truck lineup now covers 14 Korean dishes, an increase from 8 last year. In addition to last year's popular specialties such as Korean spicy noodles, spicy chicken and dried persimmon cheese rolls, many new items will be launched, including BBQ Vietnamese bread and puffed rice ice cream. As part of the city's climate action, all meals will be served in reusable containers. Live performances will also be arranged this year to bring a more pleasant experience to tourists. Multilingual self-service terminals and QR code payment options will also be provided on site to facilitate international tourists.

Su Dongpo, a great writer and painter in the Song Dynasty of China, once said that the true meaning of painting lies not in the faithful imitation of the object, but in the freehand brushwork - that is, expressing the feelings of the literati. Compared with Western abstract painting, which went through a specific art history process from the late 19th century to the early 20th century and finally appeared as a combination of formal elements and individual subjectivity; East Asian painting is rooted in the tradition of Chinese literati painting, which regards painting as a carrier of spiritual expression. In Western modernism, when the artistic impulse cannot be satisfied through simple realistic reproduction, it turns to increasingly deepened abstract expression; while East Asian painting has always been an intellectual tool that enables artists to transcend the shackles of realism and directly point to the expression of philosophical ideas.

Featuring the artworks of renowned masters of modern and contemporary Korean art, the exhibition runs from July 1 to October 12, 2025, at Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongju, the host city of APEC 2025. This special exhibition brings together 90 iconic artworks by celebrated artists Kim Whanki, Park Su-geun, Lee Jung-seob, and Chang Ucchin, offering a rare opportunity to see all the masterpieces in one space. In particular, works from the Lee Kun-hee collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Korea are included, generating high anticipation. Active during the turbulent period of the 20th century, these four artists established their own unique artistic world and contributed significantly to the development of Korean art. This exhibition is an opportunity to experience the timeless works of Kim Whanki, often referred to as the pioneer of Korean abstract art; Park Su-geun, an artist who portrayed the lives of ordinary people; Lee Jung-seob, the beloved national painter who lived a life of passion; and Chang Ucchin, a painter who celebrated childhood innocence. The exhibition venue, Gyeongju Arts Center, is also the site of the APEC CEO Summit. Nearby tourist attractions such as Gyeongju Hwangnidan Street, Cheomseongdae Observatory, Daereungwon Ancient Tomb Complex, Gyochon Traditional Village, Donggung Palace and Wolji Pond, and Gyeongju National Museum, offer the perfect opportunity to savor in the rich history and timeless beauty of Gyeongju.

When the summer heat keeps everyone indoors during the day, there’s no better way to make the most of the long evenings than at Starry Night Busan 2025: Nighttime Revelry. This lively summer series turns a Busan night into an adventure, offering locals and visitors a fun and refreshing way to escape the heat and explore the city after dark. Since its launch in 2022, Night Festa has been celebrating Busan’s vibrant nightlife with programming that invites everyone to explore, relax and enjoy. This year, the festival returns with nine unique events across the city. From August 14 to 16, families with young children can visit the new Science & Magic Kids Night Playground at the Busan Science Museum. This fun event combines hands-on science experiments with enchanting magic shows. Music lovers can check out the Night Music Campicnic and Travel Show at Dadaepo Beach every Friday and weekend night from September 5 to 14. Watch live performances and enjoy one of Busan’s most stunning sunsets. Don’t miss the Night Market at Hwamyeong Eco Park, where the late summer breeze blows pop-up stalls serving traditional Korean drinks and delicious street food. A festival favorite, the market is open Thursday to Sunday from September 18 to October 19.

The Seoul Illustration Exhibition is a professional exhibition representing the field of illustration. This is an art festival where various artists in the fields of painting, action, storytelling and graphics participate to promote their works and communicate directly with the audience.

The 5th Healthy Forest Healing Summer Festival will be held for 5 days from July 25, with the theme of forest, breathing, healing breath with nature. Now in its fifth year, the festival has become a representative forest healing and leisure project in Jeju Island. This summer festival has a variety of programs, including the "Summer Night Forest 2 Days 1 Night" camp held only once in Seogwipo Jirim Forest, and "Let's Sing a Star". The camp aims to help young people escape from their busy daily lives and enjoy relaxation in nature, which is expected to help restore the balance of body and mind.

Among the festivals in Korea, the Boryeong Mud Festival is one of the most attended by foreign tourists. During the festival, there are activities everywhere, tourists covered in mud can be seen everywhere and become a major sight on the streets. Men and women, young and old, regardless of you or me, have fun in the mud. These mud activities are not only fun, but also good for the skin, so they are very popular with tourists. Baoning has always been a place with beautiful scenery and abundant resources. In July 1996, 7 types of cosmetics including mud cream were successfully developed using mud on the beach near Daecheon Beach in Boryeong-si. Boryeong mud cosmetics can emit far-infrared rays that are beneficial to the human body, and are also rich in ingredients with skin care effects such as germanium, minerals, and bentonite. 's confirmation. The Boryeong Mud Festival is held at Daecheon Beach, which is famous for its shell powder white sandy beach, where you can experience sea bathing and mud bathing. In another entertainment facility, the Mud Recuperation Amusement Park, various entertainment programs and related activities such as large mud pools, mud wrestling, mud skateboarding, mud coaching, mud sailing, etc. are carried out every day for tourists to watch or participate in the experience. At the same time, you can also visit the beautiful Epitaxy Island and the 78 large and small islands around it. There are also 36 precious cultural heritages, which made the city of Boryeong famous in the world and made the Baoyeong mud cosmetics widely known.

The National Museum of Korea is hosting a special exhibition titled “Conquering the World on Two Feet” to commemorate the 80th anniversary of liberation. It contains the stories of Son Ki-jeong, who ran with his country in his heart at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and his disciples who followed in his footsteps and played an active role on the world stage, as well as the moving moments of the torch relay in Seoul in 1988. “Jokpaecheonha足覇天下”, we invite you to the story of Son Ki-jeong, who spread courage and hope to the world on two feet.

The Jeongnamjin Jangheung Water Splashing Festival takes place in the cleanest places, such as the Tamjin River, Jangheung Dam Lake, and Deungyangman Beach. With the familiar theme of "water," this summer festival hosts a variety of programs for those who want to escape the heat. Major programs include the "Salsu Battle Street Parade" and the "World's Largest Water Fight," where locals and tourists alike gather to participate. Water guns are a must! Visitors can easily find water guns and water balloons at the festival. There's also an underwater tug-of-war, a fun reenactment of Janghyung's "Gossam Tug of War," which is attended by tens of thousands of people.

The Incheon PENTAPORT Rock Festival is a representative rock music festival in Korea. It features not only world-class rock bands but also talented up-and-coming artists, offering a one-of-a-kind lineup that makes it an incredibly popular event.A major highlight of this festival is its outdoor camping area with a view of the stages, where attendees can set up tents and enjoy three amazing days. This is why it has become a hotspot for trendy individuals who want to combine camping with a rock festival experience.With performances spread across three different stages, allowing fans to enjoy diverse artists, the festival has gained even more popularity.