On the first day of the byeong-o year, the place where the sun rises first on the Korean Peninsula is Ganjeolgot in Ulju County, Ulsan. It is about five minutes earlier than Jeongdongjin in Gangneung, Gangwon, or Homigot in Pohang, North Gyeongsang. This year at Ganjeolgot, fireworks and 1,500 drones will fill the pre-dawn sky starting two hours before sunrise.
Ulju County will hold the "2026 Ganjeolgot New Year sunrise festival" for two days from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1 in the Ganjeolgot Park area in Seosaeng-myeon. Programs are prepared to enjoy through the night from the last night of the year until the sun rises on the first day of the new year.
In the park's outdoor exhibition area, works that reinterpret winter scenery as contemporary visual art will be installed. The nighttime landscape exhibition "Red snow," made up of LED lights and media art, is a piece that adds the red energy of the new year to a snow-covered winter landscape. It conveys the stillness of snowy scenes by day and dynamic changes under red lighting by night. The exhibition runs from 4:30 p.m. on the 31st to 8 a.m. on the 1st.
The public art project "Blooming" is also arranged. Thirteen sculptures themed on the seasonal change from winter to spring are on display and can be viewed at any time.
The sunrise event begins with a night performance on the 31st. A year-end concert starts at 9:30 p.m., featuring popular singers including Kim Hee-jae, Hwang Yun-seong, and Soo-geun, along with local artists. The performance continues until midnight. After that, an outdoor movie screening will be held. From 1:10 a.m. to 4:30 a.m. on the 1st, films can be viewed free of charge.
The highlight of the event is a fireworks and drone light show. At 5 a.m. on the 1st, 1,500 drones will fly over Ganjeolgot, delivering New Year's greetings and messages. A spectacle will light up the pre-dawn sky along with fireworks.
Just before sunrise, an official sunrise ceremony will also be held. From 7 a.m. on the 1st, a pre-ceremony performance, wish interviews, a sunrise performance, and a countdown will take place for about 45 minutes.
Food is not to be missed. From 6 p.m. on the 31st, booths selling Ulju specialties and food trucks will operate. From 6:10 a.m. on the 1st, there will also be a tteokguk sharing event. It is best to hurry, as everything will run until supplies last.
For safety during the event, some roads near Ganjeolgot will be controlled. Visitors must use designated parking lots, including Onyang Sports Park, Shinhan Heavy Industries, Jinha public parking lot and beach, the Energy Convergence Industrial Complex, and Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) Saeul Headquarters.
Shuttle buses will also run between the parking lots and the event venue. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the 31st, the Shinhan Heavy Industries, Jinha public parking lot, and Energy Industrial Complex routes will operate, and from 6 p.m. to 4 a.m. on the 1st, a circulator shuttle will run. From 4 a.m. to 7 a.m. on the 1st, service will be concentrated on four routes. Pets are restricted from boarding the shuttle buses.
Ganjeolgot is worth a look even after the sunrise. A coastal panorama blends dense pine forests and fantastic rock formations, and the walking trail along the coast offers sea breezes and sweeping views of the East Sea. The lawn plaza, lighthouse, and giant mailbox are also signature attractions.
Ulju County Chief Lee Soon-geol said, "We hope you will welcome a hopeful new year at Ganjeolgot, the No. 1 sunrise spot in the Republic of Korea."