Oyster Season in Korea: When to Go, What They Cost in 2026, and 3 Places Worth the Trip

A large steel tray piled with oysters in their shells on a restaurant table in Geoje, Korea
A tray of oysters in Geoje, on Korea's south coast. Photo: Kang Byeong Kee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

When the air in Korea turns cold, a certain sign starts appearing on restaurant windows and market stalls: 굴 (gul), the Korean word for oyster. Koreans treat oysters as a cold-weather food, and if you are visiting between late autumn and winter, you have arrived at exactly the right time.

This guide covers three things: when the season starts, what oysters cost right now, and where to go if you want to eat them close to where they are farmed. Prices come from Korean news reports from October 2026, and place details come from local government and Korea Tourism Organization pages. Where something could not be confirmed, we say so.

At a glance: new-season oysters reached markets from mid-October 2026 · most Korean oysters are farmed on the south coast around Tongyeong and Geoje · Seoul wholesale price was 13,800 won per 1 kg (shucked) in the second week of October · three trips: Tongyeong, Seosan Ganwoldo, Boryeong Cheonbuk

When is oyster season in Korea?

In 2026, the new season started in the middle of October. Lotte Mart, one of Korea's big supermarket chains, began selling new-season oysters from Tongyeong on October 15, and Tongyeong's oyster farming cooperative planned the year's first oyster auction for October 22.

From there, oysters stay on menus through the cold months. That is when you will see the most oyster dishes, and when the oyster festivals on the west coast take place (more on those below).

How much do oysters cost in 2026?

Prices this year started high. According to a report by The Korea Economic Daily (한국경제) on October 18, 2026, the wholesale price of shucked oysters at Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market in Seoul moved like this, per 1 kg:

  • First week of September: 15,500 won
  • Fourth week of September: 9,200 won
  • First week of October: 9,400 won
  • Second week of October: 13,800 won, up 46.8% in one week and about 60% higher than the same time last year (8,600 won)

The same report gave a few reasons for the jump: exports to Japan rose sharply in the first half of the year, there were fewer oysters left in the farms, and high sea temperatures and bad weather in summer slowed growth around Tongyeong and Geoje.

For shoppers, Lotte Mart ran a promotion on a 150 g bag of oysters for 4,990 won until October 21. That was a limited-time deal, so treat it as an example of supermarket prices, not today's price.

What this means for you: wholesale prices are not restaurant prices. Restaurant menus differ a lot by city and by dish, so check the menu board or Naver Map before you sit down.

What to order: 5 Korean oyster dishes

A black stone pot of Korean oyster rice soup with green onions, surrounded by kimchi and side dishes
Gul gukbap, oyster and rice soup. Photo: by lwy, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
  1. Gulbap (굴밥), oyster rice. Rice cooked with oysters, often in a stone pot. You add seasoned soy sauce and mix.
  2. Gul gukbap (굴국밥), oyster rice soup. A hot, clear soup with oysters and rice. A good choice on a cold morning, and usually mild.
  3. Gul jeon (굴전), oyster pancakes. Oysters dipped in flour and egg and pan-fried. Easy for people who are nervous about raw oysters.
  4. Gul hoe (굴회), raw oysters. Eaten fresh, often with a spicy chili sauce called chogochujang.
  5. Gul gui and gul jjim (굴구이, 굴찜), grilled or steamed oysters. Oysters cooked in their shells and brought to the table in a big pile. This is the classic oyster-trip meal.
A stone pot of rice topped with oysters, with fresh oysters in shells on a bamboo tray and a small bowl of sauce
Gulbap in a stone pot, with fresh oysters. Photo: wizdata, Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Where to go: 3 oyster trips from Seoul

1. Tongyeong and Geoje, the south coast

If you want to go to the source, this is it. According to Korean reports, the large majority of Korea's farmed oysters come from the south coast, around Tongyeong (통영) and Geoje (거제) in South Gyeongsang Province. The new season's first oysters come from here, and the first auction of the year is held here.

In Tongyeong you will find oyster rice, oyster pancakes, raw oysters, and grilled and steamed oysters on restaurant menus. Tongyeong is a long trip from Seoul, so it works best as an overnight stay, combined with the harbor and the islands.

2. Seosan Ganwoldo, the west coast

Ganworam, a small hermitage on a rocky islet surrounded by sea water, with people walking on the path toward it
Ganworam Hermitage, Ganwoldo. Photo: Seosan City Government, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ganwoldo (간월도) in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province, is closer to Seoul and famous for one oyster food in particular: eorigul-jeot (어리굴젓), spicy salted fermented oysters. The square by the beach even has a monument to it, described as the first monument in Korea built for a food.

  • Eat: there are many gulbap restaurants near the pier. The rice is cooked in a stone pot with oysters, and a spoonful of eorigul-jeot on top is the local way to eat it.
  • See: Ganworam (간월암), a small hermitage on a rock. At low tide you can walk to it; at high tide it becomes an island. Entry is free.
  • Before you go: check the tide times on the official page before you plan your walk, because the path is under water at high tide.
  • Festival: a traditional rite praying for a good oyster harvest is held every year on Jeongwol Daeboreum, the first full moon of the lunar year, in front of the eorigul-jeot monument.

3. Boryeong Cheonbuk, the west coast oyster festival

Cheonbuk-myeon (천북면) in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province, holds an oyster festival, the Cheonbuk Oyster Festival (천북굴축제). Boryeong's official tourism page lists it as a December event, but the 2025 festival was held on November 15–16. The 2026 dates had not been announced when we checked, so look them up before you go.

  • Address: 959-17 Jangeun-ri, Cheonbuk-myeon, Boryeong-si, Chungcheongnam-do (충남 보령시 천북면 장은리 959-17)
  • Questions: Boryeong City fisheries department, 041-930-6761. Staff may not speak English, so a translation app helps.

Tips for eating oysters safely

  • Raw oysters are a risk for anyone pregnant, elderly, or with a weak immune system. If you are not sure, choose cooked dishes like gul gukbap or gul jeon.
  • Allergies: oysters are shellfish. If you have a shellfish allergy, show staff the phrase "저는 굴 알레르기가 있어요" (I am allergic to oysters).

If you are heading to the coast by subway and bus first, our T-money guide explains how to pay for public transport.

Quick answers

  • When does oyster season start? In 2026, new-season oysters reached markets from mid-October.
  • How much did oysters cost in October 2026? 13,800 won per 1 kg (shucked, wholesale in Seoul) in the second week of October.
  • Where are most oysters farmed? On the south coast, around Tongyeong and Geoje.
  • What is eorigul-jeot? Spicy salted fermented oysters, a specialty of Ganwoldo in Seosan.
  • How do I say oyster in Korean? Gul (굴).

Checked in November 2026 against Korean news reports, Boryeong City and Korea Tourism Organization pages. Prices, festival dates and menus can change.

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