In ancient times, the royal guards of Joseon Dynasty performed the given task by guarding the Gwanghwamun Gate, the entrance of Gyeongbokgung Palace where the king ruled the country. Since 1469, the ceremony has taken place and its record has been consulted for the present reenactment ceremony. The reenactment of the original ceremony began from 1996. The gate guardsmen serve their sentry, perform the changing of the guards, and hold a parade. The guards' uniforms, weapons, and accessories as well as their strict ceremonial procedures catch the eyes of passersby, especially foreign tourists, when guardsmen perform the changing of guards in traditional costumes at the main gate of Gyeongbokgung Palace in downtown Seoul. Since it is hard to experience traditional events in such a big city like Seoul, citizens and tourist really enjoy and love it. It takes place every day except Tuesday. Major Highlights: The Royal Guard-Changing Ceremony is a great opportunity to experience a rare traditional scene in Korea. Be sure to bring a camera to take lots of pictures. The guards’ splendid costumes, with their brilliant primary colors, are a real pleasure to see. If you have some spare time to kill, make sure to visit the palace and enjoy the beauty of Korean palaces following the ceremony.

Everland Summer Splash, one of the main summer festivals in Everland, is held annually from June to August. The festival is packed with various programs like splash parades, fireworks and a 3D mapping show held at night, and a new themed garden, featuring more hands-on contents for visitors. 

The Itaewon Global Village Festival, held every fall, brings together a fun mix of Korean traditions and foreign cultures and stands out as one of the most internationally diverse celebrations of Seoul. It is indeed a fantastic multicultural event where people learn about and experience different culturals. A range of events take place during the festival beginning with an opening ceremony, performances of traditional dance from home and abroad as well as the Global Food Festival which runs throughout the weekend.

Bonghwa Eun-uh (Sweet Smelt) Festival, held in Bonghwa-gun, Gyeongsangbuk-do, offers numerous participatory programs including sweet smelt fishing, underwater race and quiz show. Sweet smelt fishing, the festival’s highlight, is held two times a day during the week, and three times on Saturdays. Winners of the underwater race and the quiz show will receive local specialty products as prizes. Moreover, there are several educational and cultural programs including a freshwater fish exhibition featuring trout and other species, a sweet smelt ecology center where visitors can observe the natural environment that the fish live in, the Korean Currency Museum, Bonghwa tourist photo center, sweet smelt painting, ceramic, hanji (Korean traditional paper) handicraft, and stone inscription.  

The Hwangmaesan Royal Azalea Festival is held every year in May at Hwangmaesan County Park. The festival started in 1997 as an effort by local and overseas residents to preserve the azalea fields through hosting local cultural events. In 2012, the mountain was also included in CNN Travel's list of "50 Beautiful Places to Visit in Korea." Hwangmaesan is the filming site of several Korean movies such as Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War (태극기휘날리며), Welcome to Dongmakgol (웰컴투 동막골), A Story Of Bangja (방자전), Queen Seok Duk (선덕여왕), Horse Doctor (마의), and Bridal Mask (각시탈).

Guwau Village (Taebaek, Gangwon-do) is host to the Taebaek Sunflower Festival, a celebration of the area’s wide array of colorful wildflowers and endless fields of sunflowers (the largest sunflower patch in Korea). The festival takes place in about a 661,157㎡ filled with 300 species of wild flowers along with a sunflower field walking path and other hands-on program with wild flowers. 

Heart-beating sounds of powerful percussion rhythm and Heart-filling melodies of beautiful Gukak! Story of Korea with Korean traditional instruments; Dae-guem, Hae-geum, Gayaguen, and A-jaeng. When Fanta-Stick’s beating starts, your heart-beat will go up to the highest with the percussion sounds. Modern interpretation of Gukak based on tradition. Guaka is no longer boring. Experience new Korea. * Point 1) Exciting Live Battle show between the Percussion family and the Gukak family! - 100% Live Gukak performance that you can’t take your eyes off. - The spirit of fusion Gukak composed by Kim, Baekchan; a music director of movies called ‘A Frozen Flower’ and ‘Blades of Blood’. * Point 2) Collection of all representative contents of Korea All the Korean representative contents in one performance! Percussion, fusion Gukak, Comedy, Korean traditional instruments, Korean traditional performances and so on. * Point 3) Performance only for audiences and with audiences An interactive performance made with audiences and performers together. * Point 4) Fun! Main reason for watching a performance Have fun with an exciting percussion performance and fill your heart with beautiful fusion Gukak performance. *Note: Due to the MERS outbreak, some performances will be discontinued until July, 2015; please call to confirm.

City of Gunpo filled with charming pink azaleas will overwhelm the viewers' hearts with excitement. The annual festival will also hold memorable events and entertainment for visitors to enjoy.

Gwangju Biennale is an international contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years. Taking place in 2014, the event marks 10th anniversay and will celebrate the importance of being together though the theme of “Burning Down the House (터전을 불태우라).” It will bring together many different people, different times, various roles in arts production, and numerous different positions toward power such as exist  in various social, political, and cultural situations. The biennale consists of an exhibition, several workshops, e-journals, books, and various programs such as residency programs and new commissions. [About the 2014's theme] Burning Down the Houseexplores the process of burning and transformation, a cycle of obliteration and renewal witnessed throughout history. Evident in aesthetics, historical events, and an increasingly rapid course of redundancy and renewal in commercial culture, the Biennale reflects on this process of, often violent, events of destruction or self-destruction―burning the home one occupies―followed by the promise of the new and the hope for change. In the 1930s the critic Walter Benjamin coined the term ‘Tigersprung’ (the tiger’s leap) for a new model of history where the past is activated in and through the present within a culture industry that demands constant renewal. What can the ‘Tigerspung’ mean for today’s ‘tiger economies’ like South Korea in a context where economic and political powers deliver the eternally new of fashionable commodities and industrial progress at the apparent expense of a cultural past? Burning Down the House looks at the spiral of rejection and revitalization that this process implies. The theme highlights the capacity of art to critique the establishment through an exploration that includes the visual, sound, movement and dramatic performance. At the same time, it recognises the possibility and impossibility within art to deal directly and concretely with politics. The energy, the materiality and processes of burning ― the manner in which material is changed and destroyed by flames into the residue of dramatic interventions or remnants of celebrations ― have long informed artistic practice. The transformative powers of fire are central to the way in which this exhibition has been imagined. -Courtesy of Gwangju Biennale Foundation  

E-World Starlight Festival is held with ten million lights in an area of 120,000 pyeong around E-World and 83 Tower. Hot-air balloons, roses, and masks light decorations and other events will catch people’s eyes at this carnival-like festival. The events start at night and large characteristic trees are decorated along the 200m Light Road, as well as a Umbrella Road, Carnival Road, and photo zone created by 1,000 lights. Also, 10,000 LED roses cover the proposal stairs, creating a romantic and special ambience. This festival is beloved by young couples as part of a night dating course.