Joseon era's 610-year-old military drill comes to life at Seosan festival this fall

Step through the gate of Haemieupseong, a Joseon Dynasty (1392–1910) walled fortress town in Seosan, South Chungcheong, this fall and you'll time travel six centuries back — bow in hand for archery practice, or seated for gwageo, the dynasty's national civil service.

The Seosan Haemieupseong Festival returns for the 23rd edition in the western city from Oct. 9 to 11. The festival draws on the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, which recorded King Taejong (1367–1422) leading a massive military exercise in Seosan alongside his third son, Grand Prince Chungnyeong (1397-1450) — later King Sejong the Great — and turns that history into a three-day immersive experience.

The festival's signature program — the re-enactment of King Taejong's military exercise — will include Grand Prince Chungnyeong for the first time this year.

A range of technology-aided hands-on events has also been added for a more immersive experience, according to the organizer.

"I wanted to utilize technology to make the content and storytelling richer, rather than just using it for functional purposes," said Lee Jung-min, director of this year's festival, at a press conference in central Seoul on Wednesday. Lee has served as the director of multiple festivals including the Seoul Jazz Festival.

"Once you enter the gate of the Haemieupseong Fortress and scan a QR code, your smartphones will become your hopae [identification tag carried during the Joseon era], which gives you the qualifications to participate in various events. From there, you are not a spectator of a festival but a person from that era."

Ninety missions await people inside the fortress, ranging from archery to gyeokgu (a traditional Korean sport similar to polo) and pyeonchu (martial arts on horseback).

Haemieupseong is believed to have underpinned the military strength of the early Joseon Dynasty — a strength that would later anchor King Sejong's benevolent, people-centered rule. Taking inspiration from such a role, the festival has built what's called Haemi Defense Road. Stretching outside the fortress's eastern gate, the road displays modern Korean-built weapons such as the Cheongung missile system, Korean Air Force tactical vehicles and drone simulators, among others.

When the sun goes down, a 1,000-drone show will light up the Seosan night sky throughout the three-day festival, portraying various historical scenes related to the region.

The Seosan Haemieupseong Festival is also showcasing a private dining session for 60 guests for the first time on Oct. 10. Eight dishes encapsulating historical scenes related to the fortress will be presented by celebrity chefs such as Kim Sung-woon of the Michelin-starred Table for Four, made with local ingredients and traditional Korean liquor.

Director Lee said the festival tried to incorporate K-culture elements, such as a dance cover of Netflix's hit animated film "KPop Demon Hunters" (2025) in its "Street Dance" program, as it took note of foreign visitors' growing interest in Korean culture and history.

"The festival also covers the overall history of the Joseon Dynasty, which can serve as an opportunity for foreigners to learn about Korea more in depth with hands-on experience rather than through text," Lee said.

Seosan takes about two hours to reach by car from Seoul, and the easiest transportation is an intercity bus from Nambu Terminal to Haemi.

For more information, visit http://haemifest.com.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [[email protected]]