🌍 Shinheung Market Global Local Festa 2026: Haebangchon’s 70-Year-Old Market Goes Global
Halfway up the slope between Noksapyeong and Namsan sits Haebangchon, a hillside neighborhood that started as a refugee village after 1945. At its heart is Shinheung Market (신흥시장, also spelled Sinheung), a covered alley market that has been here since 1953. From October 1 to 3, 2026, the market hosts the Shinheung Market Global Local Festa. Its slogan is “Where the World Meets, Shinheung Market Connects Seoul,” and the program includes a rooftop flea market, a yut-nori “World Cup”, a talk concert with TV personality Robin Deiana and a Namsan morning club.
At a Glance · Shinheung Market Festa
A 70-year-old alley market goes global for 3 days
📅 Schedule🚇 Getting there🏮 Why go
📅 Dates
Oct 1 – 3, 2026
Thu – Sat
🕒 Hours
Evenings Oct 1–2, daytime Oct 3
From 5 pm · Sat 9 am – 4 pm
📍 Where
Shinheung Market, Haebangchon
95-9 Sinheung-ro, Yongsan-gu
💸 Cost
Free
Rooftop flea market all 3 days
🎲 Highlight
Global Yut-nori World Cup
Plus a talk concert with Robin Deiana
🚇 Getting there
Noksapyeong (Line 6) Exit 2
15–20 min uphill, or village bus Yongsan 02
What’s On at the Festival
📅 Day-by-Day Schedule
| Day | Time | Program |
|---|---|---|
| Thu, Oct 1 | 5–7 pm | 🎲 Global Yut-nori World Cup |
| 8 pm – | 🌍 Global Supporters launch ceremony | |
| Fri, Oct 2 | 5 pm – | 🏆 Shinheung Market Awards |
| 6–8 pm | 🎤 Performances, lectures & talk show | |
| 8 pm – | 💬 Global Talk Concert with Robin Deiana | |
| Sat, Oct 3 | 9 am – 1 pm | 🌳 Shinheung Morning Club: yoga, running & walking on Namsan |
| 1–4 pm | 📷 Shinheung Photo Contest & exhibition |
- 🌍 Rooftop Flea Market (all 3 days) – stalls with Korean and international goods, vintage finds and one-off handmade items on the market rooftop.
- 🎲 Global Yut-nori World Cup (Oct 1) – mixed teams of different nationalities play yut-nori, Korea’s traditional stick-throwing board game. The rules take about two minutes to learn, so it’s an easy way to join in even if you don’t speak Korean.
- 💬 Global Talk Concert (Oct 2, 8 pm) – an evening of global stories with Robin Deiana, the French TV personality known to Korean audiences for years. It comes after the Shinheung Market Awards and an early-evening program of performances and talks.
- 🌳 Shinheung Morning Club (Oct 3, 9 am – 1 pm) – yoga, running and an easy walk on Namsan, just uphill from the market. It’s a nice way to start a Saturday if you’re staying nearby.
- 📷 Photo Contest & Exhibition (Oct 3, 1–4 pm, exhibition all 3 days) – old and new photos of Shinheung Market and Haebangchon, covering 70+ years from the post-war years to today.
🇰🇷 K Local Tip
Yut-nori in 30 seconds: you throw four flat sticks. How many land flat side up decides how far you move (1 = do, 2 = gae, 3 = geol, 4 = yut, none = mo). Yut and mo give you another throw. Land on an opponent and they go back to start. Koreans shout a lot while playing, so feel free to join in.
Why Shinheung Market Is Worth the Climb
Shinheung Market opened in 1953 as the place where Haebangchon residents bought their daily necessities. The neighborhood once lived on small knitwear workshops. When that industry faded in the 1990s, the market went quiet. In 2015 Seoul named Haebangchon an urban regeneration area. The market got a new roof, better walkways and lighting, and small cafés, studios and restaurants moved into the old stalls.
Today it’s an odd and charming mix. A few long-time shops still stand next to small bars, studios and cafés, many run by young Koreans and expats who live on the hill. It has also appeared in Korean dramas, and you’ll see people stopping for photos under the market roof.
How to Get There
- Subway + walk: Noksapyeong Station (Line 6), Exit 2. Walk up toward Haebangchon Ogeori (the five-way intersection), then into the market. It takes 15–20 minutes and it’s steep, so wear comfortable shoes.
- Village bus: Yongsan 02 (용산02) climbs the hill and saves your legs. Tap your T-money card or Climate Card.
- Navigation: search “신흥시장” in Naver Map. Google Maps walking directions are unreliable on these alleys.
Make an Afternoon of It
- Come in the late afternoon. Haebangchon faces west, so sunset over Yongsan and the Han River from the rooftop cafés is the best time.
- Walk down to Itaewon and Gyeongnidan-gil afterwards for dinner.
- Missed the festival? The market is open year-round, and weekdays are quieter and more local.
Sources: official festival poster and schedule (hosted by the Haebangchon Shinheung Market merchants, supported by Seoul Metropolitan Government and Yongsan-gu) and Yongsan-gu Office press release (Sep 28, 2026). Programs and hours may change, so check on-site notices before you go.
