Quick answer: Korea Grand Sale is the winter shopping-tourism festival run by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Visit Korea Committee. The last edition ran 68 days, 17 December 2025 to 22 February 2026, with about 1,750 companies. No 2026-27 dates had been announced by 12 October 2026. Explera DMC Korea plans winter groups around it.
What the last edition looked like
- Length. 17 December 2025 to 22 February 2026, extended from 45 to 68 days and moved earlier into December.
- Scale. About 1,750 participating companies, reported as a record: airlines, hotels, retailers, food and beauty brands.
- Five themes. K-Gourmet, K-Exciting, K-Stylish, K-Healing and K-Inspired, with food tours, beauty workshops, wellness and traditional arts.
- Beyond Seoul. K-Train one-day tours linked Seoul with Jeonju, Taebaek and the East Coast.
What is not known yet
- The next dates. We found no announcement of a 2026-27 edition. Treat any date you see as unconfirmed.
- Group terms. The festival is aimed at individual visitors, and many offers are not written for groups. We check each one.
- The source. The organisers publish details at en.koreagrandsale.co.kr. We read it and report.
- Not Sale Festa. Korea Sale Festa is a separate autumn event run by a different ministry. Do not mix the two.
How agents can use it
- A winter hook. It gives a client brochure a reason to travel in the quieter months.
- Pair with the season. Shopping fits beside winter festivals, illuminations, hot springs and ski days.
- Plan the shopping stop. We choose department-store, duty-free or market stops that suit the group and set the time, not a free-for-all.
- Keep it honest. We do not promise a discount. We say which offers we have confirmed for the dates.
Why it works
Winter is a quieter season for hotels and flights, and a national campaign adds a story agents can tell.
It works best as one part of a Korean winter programme, not as the whole reason to come.
Planned with the agent
Explera DMC Korea plans winter group programmes with the coach, a guide, venue bookings, shopping stops and a hotel base.
Send your dates, pax and group profile to b2b@explera.kr or WhatsApp +66 93 656 8090. Explera DMC Korea is IATA TIDS-registered (96215733) and an ASTA member (#900408341); our KTO and KATA registrations are in application.
Where this fits in our Korea programmes
The pages below carry the operational detail behind this briefing.
- Services: Group travel & GIT in Korea · Tours & activities in Korea · Guide services in Korea
- Destinations: Seoul · Busan
Frequently asked questions
When is the next Korea Grand Sale?
No dates for a 2026-27 edition had been announced when we checked on 12 October 2026. The last edition ran from 17 December 2025 to 22 February 2026. Treat any date you see as unconfirmed until the ministry publishes it.
Who organises the Korea Grand Sale?
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Visit Korea Committee. The festival was first held in 2011.
Do the festival offers apply to tour groups?
Not automatically. The festival is aimed at individual visitors and many offers are written for them. Explera DMC Korea checks each offer against your dates and group before it goes into a programme, and we do not promise a discount.
Is Korea Grand Sale the same as Korea Sale Festa?
No. Korea Sale Festa is a separate autumn shopping event run by a different ministry. Korea Grand Sale is the winter festival aimed at foreign visitors.
