3,000 Sign Up for Jeju Olle Walking Festival ... Final Event in Its Large-Scale Group-Walk Format

【Financial News, Jeju = Reporter Jeong Yong-bok】 The large-scale festival, where thousands walk together along the Jeju Olle Trail, will change its format after this year. The Jeju Olle Walking Festival, now in its 16th edition, will take place in November along courses 19 and 20, which connect the eastern coast and villages of Jeju City. Around 3,000 people have registered in advance so far.
According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju Olle Foundation on the 18th, the 2026 Jeju Olle Walking Festival will be held over three days, from Nov. 5 to 7, in Jocheon, Gimnyeong and Hado. The festival is hosted by Jeju Province and organized by the Jeju Olle Foundation. This year’s theme is “Be happy on the Olle Trail!”
Since it began in 2010, the Jeju Olle Walking Festival has brought participants together to walk a designated section each day and experience performances, food and culture in different villages. This year’s festival is being prepared as the final event in the existing format, in which large numbers of people gather on a particular course to walk together.
The festival schedule divides the walk along Jeju Olle courses 19 and 20 over three days. On the first day, Nov. 5, participants will walk about 13 km from Jocheon Sports Complex to Dongbok-ri Sports Park.

On the second day, participants will set out from Dongbok-ri Sports Park and follow an approximately 11.5 km section connecting courses 19 and 20 before arriving at Jeju Batdam Theme Park. On the final day, the 7th, they will walk about 12.9 km in the reverse direction, from Jeju Haenyeo Anti-Japanese Movement Memorial Park to Jeju Batdam Theme Park.
The festival route links coastal areas and villages in eastern Jeju, including Hamdeok, Bukchon, Dongbok, Gimnyeong, Woljeong and Sehwa. Participants can take in the distinct scenery of each village, including the sea, volcanic cones and stone field walls.
Course 19 includes the Bukchon Neobeunsungi historic site, which preserves the history of the Jeju April 3 Incident. Near course 20 is Jeju Haenyeo Anti-Japanese Movement Memorial Park, which commemorates the anti-Japanese movement of the haenyeo, or women divers. The route offers a chance to encounter not only natural scenery but also traces of Jeju’s modern and contemporary history.
Performances by local cultural artists, village food and hands-on programs will be offered at various points along the route. A distinctive feature is that the festival is designed to let participants interact with residents of nearby villages as they walk the designated sections.

Environmental management is also a key operational priority. Jeju Province and the Jeju Olle Foundation plan to reduce the use of single-use items at the event venue and along the courses, and to ask participants to take their litter with them as they walk. Route guidance, safety management and medical support are also being prepared.
Jeju Province has counted around 3,000 advance registrants. Online advance registration closed on the 9th, but residents and tourists who missed the registration period can still sign up at the event site on the day and take part. Details such as the starting place and time for each section, as well as the participation fee, should be checked through official Jeju Olle announcements.
The Jeju Olle Walking Festival is designed to promote the region’s nature and culture through walking trips and encourage visitors to spend time in local villages. With this year marking the end of the large-scale group-walking format, attention will also turn to how future changes in the festival’s operations may affect participants’ travel experiences and local community involvement.
Im Hong-cheol, director of Jeju Province’s Environment and Forest Resources Bureau, said, “The Jeju Olle Walking Festival is an ecotourism festival where people can get to know Jeju at a leisurely pace and connect with local communities,” adding, “I hope many people will walk the Jeju Olle Trail and experience the beauty of nature and the charm of Jeju.”

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