Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). It's Thursday, September 24, 2 a.m., and the Chuseok holiday starts today. Sokcho (속초) is currently 21°C with clear skies, with a daytime high of 26°C, a low of 20°C, and a 30% chance of rain. All three access roads (Misiryeong-ro (미시령로), Donghae-daero (동해대로), Seoraksan-ro (설악산로)) are also flowing smoothly at this hour. Today we'd like to take a detailed look at one event in Sokcho that's worth going to with kids during the holiday. It's the 속초시립박물관 (Sokcho Sirip Bangmulgwan, Sokcho Municipal Museum) ‘2026 Hangawi Folk Experience Event’, held this Saturday (the 26th). It's an event you can simply stroll around and leave, but if you want to enter the family quiz contest, you'll need to hurry from 9 in the morning.
Event overview: Saturday the 26th, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., around the museum and the Displaced Persons' Culture Village
속초시립박물관 is in Nohak-dong (노학동) (16 Sinheung 2-gil), and the museum building is attached to the outdoor 실향민문화촌 (Silhyangmin Munhwachon, Displaced Persons' Culture Village). 실향민문화촌 has life-size reproductions of houses from the northern regions, such as a Kaesong house, a Pyongyang house and a Hwanghae-do house, and this event uses the entire space.
- Date & time: Saturday, September 26, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
- Venue: 속초시립박물관 and 실향민문화촌 area
- Inquiries: 속초시립박물관 Curatorial Team 033-639-2913
Since it's the Saturday after Chuseok, it's a good day for families who have held their ancestral rites or travelers who arrived in Sokcho the day before to drop by casually. A food-sharing event where you can taste holiday dishes together has also been prepared.
First thing to take care of: the family quiz contest takes the first 15 teams per round
The program likely to fill up fastest at this event is the family quiz contest ‘알쏭달쏭 추석, 도전! 장원급제’ (“Puzzling Chuseok, Challenge! Top of the Exam”). Questions cover Chuseok customs, the meaning of the holiday, and Sokcho's history and culture.
- Time: Two rounds, 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. (outdoor stage)
- Capacity: First 15 teams per round
- Team makeup: 1 adult + 1 student (elementary to high school)
- Registration: From 9 a.m. on the day of the event, via the QR code on the information flyer
Even combining both rounds, there are only 30 teams. The event starts at 10, but registration opens an hour earlier at 9, so if you plan to enter the quiz contest, the surest way is to arrive at the museum before 9 and pick up a flyer. If you're staying in Seorak-dong (설악동) or near the beach, you'll need to have breakfast a little earlier. If you're with an elementary school child, another good option is to go around the museum's permanent exhibition hall first in the morning to prepare for questions on Sokcho's history, and then enter the 3 p.m. round. What you see in the exhibition hall may come up directly as questions.
The day's route by timetable
Performances and quiz times alternate, so it's easier to check the timetable first before moving around.
- 09:00 Quiz contest QR registration opens
- 10:00 Event begins; traditional games and craft activities open
- 11:00 Sangmo Pangut performance by the Sokcho City Pungmul Troupe (outdoor stage)
- 11:30 Family quiz contest, Round 1
- 14:00 Sangmo Pangut performance, second show
- 15:00 Family quiz contest, Round 2
- 17:00 Event ends
Sangmo Pangut is a performance in which players beat pungmul instruments while spinning the ribbon on the sangmo hat they wear, and kids react very well when they watch it up close. If you watch the 11 o'clock performance and go straight to the 11:30 quiz contest, your route stays in one place (the outdoor stage). If you come in the afternoon, pair the 2 o'clock performance with the 3 o'clock quiz.
Activity fees from 1,000 KRW; traditional games are free to play
Traditional games such as gonu, chilgyo (tangram) and sangaji can be played freely on site. Hands-on craft activities charge a materials fee.
- Making a mother-of-pearl spinning top: 1,000 KRW
- Decorating a chilgyo set: 2,000 KRW
- Making a Pyeongan-do house: 5,000 KRW
Making a Pyeongan-do house is much more fun after you've seen the northern houses in 실향민문화촌 in person. Try asking your child first, “Why are there houses from the northern regions in Sokcho?” Along with the activity, you can explain that refugees who could not return home after the Korean War settled in Sokcho, and that their story carries on in Abai Village (아바이마을) and this culture village. Bringing a little cash or a small-payment method will make things easier at the activity booths.
A “wish paper” corner also runs for the four days of the holiday
Separately from the Saturday event, during the Chuseok holiday (September 24–27) a wish-paper writing corner will be set up in the museum's Special Exhibition Room 2. Even if Saturday doesn't work for you, you can drop by during the holiday, write your family's wishes and hang them up.
There is one thing to check, however. 속초시립박물관's operating rules list every Monday, January 1, and Seollal and Chuseok days themselves as closure days. This year, Chuseok day is tomorrow, the 25th (Friday). The wish-paper corner has been announced for the 24th–27th, but if you plan to visit on the 25th, it's safest to call the Curatorial Team (033-639-2913) first to confirm whether it's open. If you visit today (the 24th) or on the 26th or 27th, there's no such concern. Opening hours in the summer season (March–October) are 9 a.m.–6 p.m.
Admission fees and benefits for Sokcho residents
Basic museum admission, per individual, is 2,000 KRW for adults, 1,500 KRW for youth and military personnel, and 700 KRW for children. Sokcho residents are exempt from admission every Sunday and on Seollal, Chuseok and Sokcho Citizens' Day. During this holiday, the 27th (Sunday) falls under this, so if you live in Sokcho, going on Sunday to write a wish paper is one option. Activity fees on the event day are separate from admission, so plan for both.
Holiday weather: rain on Chuseok morning, gradually clearing on Saturday
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration forecast, the Gangwon East Coast will be mostly clear today (the 24th). On Chuseok day, the 25th, easterly winds are forecast to bring rain to the Gangwon East Coast and mountain areas from dawn through the morning, and thick clouds at night are expected to make the full moon hard to see. Rain is expected to continue over the central region from late night on the 25th until dawn on the 26th, and as the rain clouds move south, the eastern area is expected to gradually clear. Temperatures during the holiday will be similar to or slightly above normal, with a large day-night temperature difference of around 10 degrees.
Much of the Saturday event takes place at the outdoor stage and 실향민문화촌, so the ground may be wet in the morning. Prepare shoes for your kids that are fine to get wet, and bring a light jacket since it may get chilly toward evening. Forecasts can change, so we recommend checking again before you head out.
Getting around: it's on the way to Seorak-area attractions, so combine your plans
Currently, 속초어때's real-time data shows 설악해맞이공원 (Seorak Haemaji Park), 테디베어팜 (Teddy Bear Farm), 테라크랩팜 (Terra Crab Farm), 발해역사관 (Balhae Yeoksagwan, Balhae History Museum) and others as “Very Crowded.” Since it's the early hours, these figures seem to reflect holiday demand rather than actual crowds, but areas around Seorak-direction attractions are likely to be busy during the daytime over the holiday. Nohak-dong, where the museum is, sits on the route from downtown toward Seorak and Misiryeong, so if you see the museum event in the morning and continue in the afternoon to nearby 척산온천 (Cheoksan Oncheon, Cheoksan Hot Spring) or Seorak-direction plans, you'll spend less time turning the car around. The access roads are all flowing smoothly now, but in the afternoons of the latter half of the holiday (26th–27th), when return traffic peaks, it's best to expect congestion on Misiryeong-ro.
Other Sokcho news worth knowing over the holiday
- 속초종합사회복지관 (Sokcho Jonghap Sahoe Bokjigwan, Sokcho Community Welfare Center) is also holding a ‘Great Hangawi Feast,’ continuing holiday events that bring together local seniors and residents.
- A citizen-participation beach cleanup campaign was held around Sokcho Beach (속초해수욕장). If you visit the beach during the holiday, please take your trash with you.
- Ahead of Chuseok, Sokcho City is holding traditional market shopping events and encouraging people to use local neighborhood shops. You could continue with some market shopping after the museum event.
At a glance
- When: Saturday, September 26, 10:00–17:00 / Wish-paper writing on the 24th–27th
- Where: 속초시립박물관 and 실향민문화촌 (16 Sinheung 2-gil, Sokcho)
- Don't miss: Quiz contest QR registration at 9 a.m. on the day, 15 teams per round
- Performances: Sangmo Pangut 11:00 and 14:00 / Quiz 11:30 and 15:00
- Activity fees: 1,000 KRW, 2,000 KRW, 5,000 KRW
- Note: There is a closure rule for Chuseok day (the 25th), so call to confirm
Today we looked at the timetable and tips for joining the 속초시립박물관 Hangawi Folk Experience Event held on the Saturday of the Chuseok holiday. Did you find it helpful? We hope you have a day of playing old games with your kids over the holiday and telling them the story of the displaced people who settled in Sokcho. We'll be back next time with even more useful information.
