Hello, this is Sokcho Eottae. At 11 PM on Sunday, October 4, the autumn night in Sokcho (속초) feels crisp. The temperature right now is 18 degrees, and the sky is only slightly cloudy. The Seorak Culture Festival, which fired up Expo Plaza for three days, came to a close tonight. The fireworks that capped off the last day of the holiday went up over Cheongchoho (청초호), and with tomorrow, Monday the 5th, being a substitute public holiday, the National Foundation Day holiday will also wrap up.
But if you think "the festival is over, so Sokcho's autumn must be over too," that is not the case at all. The stage that has picked up the baton from the Seorak Culture Festival is already set up at Cheongchoho. Today, along with the real-time situation in Sokcho tonight, we will give you a practical rundown of how best to enjoy the Cheongchoho Chrysanthemum Exhibition, which has become the center of Sokcho's autumn after the Seorak Culture Festival.
Sokcho tonight, in numbers first
Before we move, let's go over the current situation. The daytime high is 21 degrees, and the overnight low drops to 16 degrees. Even though it is 18 degrees now, the sea breeze gets crisper as the night deepens, so be sure to bring an extra layer. More important is that tomorrow's chance of rain is 53%. If you are heading out on the last day of the holiday, we recommend putting an umbrella in your car ahead of time.
The sea is relatively calm. With a water temperature of 22.1 degrees and waves around 1 m, it is on the mild side for October, but don't forget that this is not the season for going in the water. And tonight's traffic and congestion were certainly befitting a holiday.
- Six very congested spots: Dongmyeonghang, Benikea Sangwa Bada (Daepohang), Seorak Haematgi Park, Terra Crab Farm, Hyundai Soo Condominium, and Kumho Resort Seorak — harbors, coast and Seorak were evenly packed.
- Slow-moving inbound traffic: All three arteries — Misiryeong-ro (toward Seoul), Donghae-daero (coast and downtown), and Seoraksan-ro (toward Seorak) — came in slow-moving.
What these numbers tell us is clear: there are plenty of crowded places in Sokcho tonight, which means anyone looking for a nighttime outing spot that is "less crowded yet quintessentially Sokcho" needs an alternative. That is exactly where the Cheongchoho Chrysanthemum Exhibition comes in.
The Seorak Culture Festival is over, and autumn's next stage is the Chrysanthemum Exhibition
The Seorak Culture Festival opened on October 2, held its street parade on the 3rd, and finished its three-day schedule with tonight's closing on the 4th. Many people think this marks the end of Sokcho's autumn events, but it is actually the opposite. If the Seorak Culture Festival was a "three-day festival," the Chrysanthemum Exhibition is a long, drawn-out autumn lasting more than a month.
The 2026 Sokcho Chrysanthemum Exhibition opened this past September 30 and runs until November 8 around the Fountain Plaza of Cheongchoho Amusement Park. That means there is still more than a month left ahead. The flowers brought in center on 110,000 small chrysanthemums, plus another 10,000 autumn flowers such as garden mums, marigolds and poinsettias, for a total of over 120,000 blooms. Before the heat of the Seorak Culture Festival had even cooled, autumn flowers were already in full bloom at Cheongchoho.
The Chrysanthemum Exhibition is better at night than during the day
There is a reason we are posting this at "11 PM." Today's sunset in Sokcho was at 6:05 PM. Because the sun sets early, the scenic lighting that comes on around the Fountain Plaza in the evening blends with the flowers to create an atmosphere completely different from the daytime. The lake setting is decisive — when the lighting and chrysanthemum glow reflect off the surface of Cheongchoho, the flower field looks twice as wide. The combination of "a calm lake + autumn flowers + a night view," rather than the sea, is a scene found only at Cheongchoho, even within Sokcho.
Above all, compared with the six very congested spots we saw earlier, the Cheongchoho Fountain Plaza is one of the few places where you can see flowers without being jostled by crowds. If you got pushed around by the crowds at night in Dongmyeonghang or Daepohang, we recommend turning toward Cheongchoho, which is not far by car. The nighttime walking route Sokcho Eottae recommends here is simple: after looking around the flowers at the Fountain Plaza, take a loop along the Cheongchoho waterside deck. Fifteen to twenty minutes is plenty, and it is easy going for couples, families and dog walks alike.
For those who find it a shame to stop at just the Chrysanthemum Exhibition
Since you have come all the way to Cheongchoho, Sokcho's autumn stretches on even longer from here. Using the fact that the Chrysanthemum Exhibition runs until November 8 as your benchmark makes it easy to plan your schedule.
- Seoraksan (설악산) autumn foliage: By the Korea Forest Service's forecast, this year's peak foliage at Seoraksan is Tuesday, October 20. It overlaps completely with the Chrysanthemum Exhibition period, so you can tie up a day with Seorak foliage by day and the Cheongchoho Chrysanthemum Exhibition by night.
- Seorak Hyanggiro night walk: The free walking path lit with firefly lighting stays open until 10 PM through October 31. From November it moves up to 9 PM, so it's best to go within October.
- Food around Cheongchoho: After seeing the Chrysanthemum Exhibition, heading toward 중앙시장 (Jungang Market) or 관광수산시장 (Gwangwang Suseo Market) naturally leads right into a late-night bite.
Practical tips for visiting tonight and tomorrow
Finally, here are just the tips that fit the current situation exactly.
- An umbrella is a must: Tomorrow's chance of rain is 53%. Since it's an outdoor event, check your weather app once more before heading out.
- An outer layer is essential: With an overnight low of 16 degrees plus the lakeside wind, it will feel even colder.
- Spread out your parking: Due to the holiday aftermath, the area around Cheongchoho can get crowded in the evening too. If the spots right in front of the Fountain Plaza are full, parking at a public lot a little farther away and walking in is actually faster.
- No cost burden: The Chrysanthemum Exhibition is an outdoor exhibition you can look around with no separate admission fee, making it a good choice even for those wary of spending at the tail end of the holiday.
- To avoid the crowds, go on a weekday evening: Weekday evenings after Tuesday the 6th, when the holiday ends, are much quieter. If you want to see the flowers in peace, aim for then.
The fireworks of the Seorak Culture Festival ended tonight, but the chrysanthemum lights of Cheongchoho will shine every night until November 8. On a day like today, worn out by holiday crowds, why not wrap up autumn in a spot with more flowers than people?
Today we looked at the real-time congestion situation in Sokcho tonight and how best to enjoy the Cheongchoho Chrysanthemum Exhibition, which has risen as the center of autumn after the close of the Seorak Culture Festival — did you find it helpful? Sokcho Eottae will continue to bring you "Sokcho in this very moment" as fast as possible. We'll be back next time with even more useful information.
