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Ulsan Onggi Festival

울산옹기축제

Korea's only festival dedicated to onggi (traditional earthenware), held each May at Oegosan Onggi Village in Ulsan, where potters throw, fire, and sell traditional vessels while visitors try their hand at the wheel.

May 1 – 3, 2027(tentative)Ulsan, Ulsan
Dates are tentative. Confirm on the official site before booking travel.

About this festival

Oegosan village in Ulju-gun is home to dozens of working onggi kilns, the last place in Korea where the traditional large-vessel earthenware tradition is still practised at scale. The 2026 festival runs May 1 to 3, combining kiln viewing, live pottery demonstrations, and hands-on throwing sessions with drone shows and concerts in the evenings. Onggi are prized as fermentation vessels because their porous walls allow air exchange, making them the original smart container for kimchi and doenjang.

Getting there

Take the KTX from Seoul to Ulsan Station (about 2 hours 10 minutes), then a local bus or taxi to Oegosan Onggi Village in Onyang-eup, Ulju-gun (about 30 minutes). During the festival, shuttle buses typically run from Ulsan KTX Station.

Tips

Admission is free; some hands-on programmes charge 1,000 to 10,000 won. The village operates year-round, so visiting outside the festival is still worthwhile if you want to buy authentic onggi directly from the kilns. Limited food options near the village; the festival brings stalls, but a meal in Ulsan before or after is worth planning.

Dates by year

  • 2027

    May 1 – 3, 2027

    tentative

Source: Manual editorial. Last verified 2026-05-09.