Ulleungdo, an Island to Visit Again!... 23rd Squid Festival Concludes Successfully

The 23rd Ulleungdo Squid Festival was held successfully over three days from August 4 to August 6, 2025, in the area around Jeodong Port on Ulleungdo.

This year's festival concluded with an enthusiastic response from tourists, offering a variety of experiences and attractions that combined Ulleungdo's pristine natural environment with its traditional maritime culture.

On the first day, August 4, the Cheonbu Seawater Pool hosted the 'Squid Catching by Hand Experience,' where participants caught squid with their bare hands. This event was especially popular among families. The unique opportunity to catch squid in the seawater with children created memorable experiences for people of all ages.

On the second day, August 5, the festival featured the first-ever 'Yellowtail Catching Experience' at the Namyang Seawater Pool.

Catching yellowtail and squid by hand. Provided by Ulleung County

This event, newly introduced in Namyang, challenged participants to catch fast-moving yellowtail by hand, stimulating their sense of adventure and further heightening the festival atmosphere.

On the final day, August 6, the main stage at Jeodong Port hosted the 'Squid Cooking Survival,' which used fresh squid, as well as the 'Ulleungdo Squid Game' consisting of five events: rescuing squid from ice, transferring squid from an ice water bucket, the Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed game, rope throwing, and slicing squid thin and long.

In addition, a variety of programs formed the core of the festival each day.

Notable programs included: ▲Ritual for a good catch & traditional raft parade ▲Catching mudfish & searching for pumice stones ▲Local squid tasting event ▲Ulleungdo wild greens recipe tasting ▲Ulleungdo wild greens handkerchief decorating experience ▲Water gun battle ▲EDM party ▲Night market ▲Celebratory performances (Cool's Lee Jaehun, Hailiang, Hwang Taeja, Chae Eun, Hidden Singer winners, and more) ▲A laser fireworks show that lit up the night sky, all filling the Jeodong Port area with the excitement of the festival.

One of the highlights of this year's festival was Ulleungdo's first-ever drone show, which deeply impressed the audience. Hundreds of drones created symbols of Ulleungdo in the night sky, producing a spectacular scene reminiscent of an art performance and drawing admiration and applause from many.

The first drone show in Ulleungdo.

Kim Suhan, chairperson of the Ulleung County Festival Committee, which organized the event, said, "Above all, I am truly relieved that we were able to conclude the festival without any major safety incidents. We will do our best to return next year with an even richer and more enjoyable festival."

County Governor Nam Han-gwon stated, "I hope that through this festival, many people were able to rediscover the charms of Ulleungdo. We will continue to provide friendly service and differentiated content to make Ulleungdo a place everyone wants to visit again."