Yeoncheon County to Hold Paleolithic Festival from May 2-5... A Time Travel Journey Back 200,000 Years

Enjoy ‘Paleolithic Life’ at Jeongok-ri, Yeoncheon
From Hands-on Experiences of ‘Clothing, Food, and Shelter’ to Parades—A Festival Full of Attractions
A Wide Range of Tourism Options Including Packages, Train, and City Tour Bus

The 'Yeoncheon Paleolithic Festival', which will be held from May 2 to May 5 at the Jeongok-ri Paleolithic Site in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, is now celebrating its 33rd edition.

A Paleolithic Time Travel Trip During the Golden Holiday in May, 'Yeoncheon Paleolithic Festival'. Provided by Yeoncheon County.

This year's Paleolithic Festival is largely divided into five main categories: hands-on experiences, competitions, performances, exhibitions, and other performance programs. Let's take a look at the 33rd Yeoncheon Paleolithic Festival, which will be held over four days and features everything from the core Paleolithic experience activities to a variety of competition programs showcasing the talents of ‘Jeongokrians’.

Selected as a ‘2026~2027 Culture and Tourism Festival’

Jeongok-ri in Yeoncheon is an area of historical significance as the first place on the Korean Peninsula where humans lived. The festival allows participants to fully experience and encounter the quintessential Paleolithic ‘clothing, food, and shelter’ at the Jeongok-ri site, which spans 200,000 square meters. This event provides fun, inspiration, hands-on learning, and insight. In January, ahead of its 33rd edition, the festival was recognized for its unique historical and cultural value, differentiated content, and competitiveness, and was selected by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a designated ‘2026~2027 Culture and Tourism Festival’.

The 'smart queue' system, utilizing QR codes and the ‘Come-In’ system, further enhances the festival’s identity as fast and comfortable. Visitors can enter easily without waiting in long lines on site, and can see real-time updates on program reservations and venue conditions at a glance.

The festival’s main program, ‘Jeongokrian Survival: Jeongok Woolly Rhino Race’, will be held every day at 1 p.m. on the lawn in front of the main stage. This activity is designed for families of 2 to 4 people, who race by hanging a specially-made ‘woolly rhino’ model on a tree. Teams can be composed of participants of any age, but at least one minor must be included per team. Only 30 teams per day are allowed to participate through online pre-registration, and a fee of 10,000 won is charged per team.

Bus and Train Package from Seoul to Yeoncheon Available in One Go

Yeoncheon is using this festival as a stepping stone to become a tourist city. The operation of the ‘2029 Yeoncheon World Paleolithic Expo’ promotional booth highlights the efforts of Yeoncheon, a small city with a population of 40,000, to successfully attract the Expo.

The Yeoncheon Tourism Special Exhibition, organized by Hanatour, runs five direct buses from Seoul to Jeongok during the festival period. The package includes the festival, major tourist attractions, and meals at local businesses. Additionally, the Paleolithic Festival tourist train will run once daily from Cheongnyangni Station to Jeongok Station from May 3 to May 5.

The Yeoncheon County Tourism Division will operate a city tour bus departing every hour on the hour from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The bus starts at Yeoncheon Station, passes through Jaein Falls, Jeongok Market, and Jeongok Prehistory Museum, and heads to the Paleolithic Festival before returning to Yeoncheon Station. The fare is 10,000 won, but a 5,000 won cashback is provided through local currency.

Experience the Paleolithic: Eat, Dress, and Enjoy... Diverse Hands-on Programs

The festival’s signature hands-on program, ‘Paleolithic Barbecue’, operates daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Participants can grill meat on long skewers over a large hearth, satisfying both their curiosity and appetite. Especially on May 3 and 4, visitors can try the ‘Paleolithic Black and White Barbecue Gourmet Event’ using a special seasoning developed by chef Kim Byeongmuk, a contestant from the Black-and-White Chef program, and chef Cho Gwanghyo, known as ‘Comic Book Handsome Guy’.

The ‘World Paleolithic Experience Plaza’ is also held, featuring participation from prehistoric cultural institutions and museums from Austria, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, and Korea. It offers opportunities to see, hear, and experience distinctive Paleolithic lifestyles from each country, such as Taiwan’s ‘fishing and shell craft experience’ and Japan’s ‘prehistoric stone tool workshop’.

Activities such as Paleolithic costume rentals and face painting are also available for free. Those who wear the costumes can join the ‘Paleolithic Parade’, held daily from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Other hands-on activities include the ‘Paleolithic Olympics’, featuring six types of activities such as ‘Mammoth Hunting Tug-of-Waist’, ‘Sergeant Jump Gathering’, and ‘Paleolithic Bridge Survival’, all based on the Paleolithic theme. There are also archery experiences and ‘Yeoncheon Paleolithic Treasure’, a treasure hunt using immersive technology, all of which are free to join every day from 10 a.m.

Festival Venues All Over Yeoncheon, Eve Event and Street Performances

On May 1, the day before the festival, the plaza in front of Jeongok Station will come alive at 6 p.m. The ‘Yeoncheon Residents Singing Contest’, featuring 10 teams that advanced through local preliminaries, will take place on a special stage.

On the festival’s opening day, May 2, at 5:30 p.m., the ‘Jeongok Land Carnival’ will be held as a celebratory opening event. Starting at Jeongok Station Plaza and moving to the four-lane road at Nonghyup Intersection, Yeoncheon residents, local clubs, and Paleolithic performers will showcase performances and parades.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.