Spend a Month in the Mud: Boryeong’s Summer Mud Festival

Photo: Hypnotica Studios Infinite from Toms River, New Jersey, USA - Mud Fest 2008, CC BY 2.0.

The unassuming coastal mudflats or getbol of Boryeong lie dormant for 11 months out of the year, but each July, this changes. Transformed into a bustling, dirty celebration, the “Boryeong Mud Festival” brings in over 2 million visitors annually to frolic and cool off in the mud. 

The festival was originally conceived in the 1990s as a way to bring tourists to the city of Daecheon, officially named Boryeong, which faced economic crisis due to both the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and the recent closure of a coal mine that employed many residents of the area. Daecheon’s mudflat beaches were often passed over in favor of more typical, sandy alternatives. In a gambit to stimulate the regional economy and boost the reputation of the overlooked, muddy beach, the city developed the mud festival. 

So, what is the allure of rolling around in the mud? It is the healing properties of the getbol mud, which is rich in bentonite and germanium that both draw excess toxins and sebum from the skin. Clay masks had been used for such healing properties for thousands of years – now it was time for Daecheon to get in on the action. Originally, Daecheon began a commercial effort to develop the Boryeong brand for cosmetic mud masks, opening a mud house and mud pack businesses. In 1998, the burgeoning Boryeong mud industry pivoted to the festival, which opened to the public on July 16, 1998.

The mud festival was a smash hit, drawing over 2 million visitors by the mid-2000s and quickly becoming a tourist attraction for both the region and South Korea as a whole. Foreigners and locals alike enjoyed rolling around in the mud, cooling off in the summer heat, and dipping into the Pacific Ocean when things got too gloopy. 

“Boryeong Mud Festival” features a mud pool, mud slides, mud prison, mud skiing, live music, food tastings, and other offerings on Daecheon Beach. Tickets are affordable, costing between 7,200 KRW to about 11,000 KRW, and the two to three-hour bus or train ride from Seoul to Daecheon also allows visitors to access additional coastal regional attractions such as the bamboo groves of Jukdo Island, the sculptures of Gaehwa Art Park, or the 16th century stone fortress of Chungcheong Suyeongseong (which was remodeled from a mud castle to a stone fortress). 

If you decide to visit the festival, especially if you’re a seafood enthusiast, check out the regional cuisine offerings, like Cheonbuk grilled oyster or spicy blue crab stew. While it may be off the beaten path for many visitors to Korea, the “Boryeong Mud Festival” offers a unique experience for those seeking healing relief from the heat or simply a fun, unique experience. What began as a desperate race to save a struggling region transformed into its own pride and joy. It just takes willingness to get more than a little dirty to take it in. 

If you’re willing, the 2025 “Boryeong Mud Festival” runs from July 25th to August 10th with tickets available now.

Edited by Sandy Ou