Quick answer: Korea marks its first legally designated Korean Food Day on 24 October 2026 with HANSIK FESTA, a three-day festival from 23 to 25 October at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. It brings cooking demonstrations, classes and pop-ups. Explera DMC Korea checks group access and builds a food-led Seoul day around it.
What has been announced
- A first. 24 October is, in 2026, Korea's first legally designated Korean Food Day.
- HANSIK FESTA. A three-day festival, 23 to 25 October 2026, at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, in the main auditorium and around the Mirror Pond.
- Who runs it. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- What is on. A ceremony and a conference on 23 October; over the three days, cooking demonstrations, cooking classes, a Korean-food quiz, performances, restaurant pop-ups and a market of ingredients, desserts and tableware.
- Registration. Advance registration for the hands-on programmes opened on 12 October through an online form, first come, first served; conference registration opened on 8 October.
What we do not know yet
- Group access. The release does not say whether a whole group can register together. We ask the organisers.
- Hours and admission. No daily hours or admission terms appear in the sources we found, so we print none.
- Places. Classes go first come, first served, so an early request has the best chance.
- Dates. The festival dates are fixed, so groups arriving outside 23 to 25 October will not see it.
If your group is in Seoul that weekend
- Ask early. Send the dates and group profile, and we check access with the museum and the organisers.
- Pair it. The museum sits well beside a palace or city-wall day in a Seoul programme.
- Plan a back-up. If group access is not offered, we build the same idea from a cooking class or a royal-cuisine lunch.
- Brief the guests. Crowds are likely at a first national event, so we allow extra time.
If it is not that weekend
The national day gives food-minded buyers a news hook all year. The same story sells through our cooking-class, kimchi, royal-court cuisine and temple-food programmes.
Korean cuisine now has an official national day, so a food-led Seoul programme is an easy proposal for culinary groups, hospitality schools and media trips.
Planned with the agent
Explera DMC Korea plans food-led Seoul programmes with the coach, a guide, venue bookings, and a cooking class or a group lunch.
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: Tours & activities in Korea · Group travel & GIT in Korea · Guide services in Korea
- Destinations: Seoul
Frequently asked questions
When are Korean Food Day and HANSIK FESTA?
Korean Food Day falls on 24 October, and 2026 is the first year it is a legally designated day. HANSIK FESTA runs from 23 to 25 October 2026 at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.
Who organises HANSIK FESTA?
The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs organise it together, according to the ministry's release of 7 October 2026.
Can tour groups join the cooking classes and demonstrations?
Advance registration for the hands-on programmes opened on 12 October through an online form, first come, first served. The release does not say whether a whole group can register, so Explera DMC Korea checks with the organisers before quoting.
What if our group is in Seoul on other dates?
The festival runs only from 23 to 25 October. Outside those dates, Explera DMC Korea builds the same food theme from a cooking class, a kimchi workshop or a royal-court cuisine lunch.
