Seoul kite festival soars ahead of Chuseok

Seoul's autumn sky filled with colorful kites carrying the hopes of its residents on Sunday, just days before the Chuseok holiday.

The 2026 Seoul Hanmaeum Kite Flying Festival, sponsored by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, was held at Nakseongdae Park in Gwanak-gu. Held under the slogan "Flying citizens' hopes high into the sky," the festival used the traditional pastime of kite flying to bring families and neighbors together across generations and cultural backgrounds.

Seoul Metropolitan Council Speaker Im Man-gyun of the Democratic Party of Korea, Gwanak-gu District Mayor Park Jun-hee of the Democratic Party of Korea, Gwanak-gu Council Speaker Pyo Tae-ryong of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Seoul council members Kim Jeong-ae, Kim Jeong-u and Gong U-seok, all of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the event alongside residents.

In his welcoming remarks, Im said that as kites carrying citizens' wishes rise higher, so too will Seoul's hopes, and expressed his wish that the festival would be a meaningful occasion for families and neighbors to cheer on each other's dreams and connect with one another.

He added that the Seoul Metropolitan Council would work to help build a city where all residents can enjoy traditional culture in their daily lives and feel the warmth of community.

District Mayor Park said it was meaningful to enjoy kite flying with residents at Nakseongdae Park, a site steeped in the history and spirit of Goryeo-era general Gang Gam-chan, and expressed hope that wishes for family health and happiness and for Gwanak-gu's continued growth would soar high into the autumn sky.

Council Speaker Pyo said that while a kite rises on the wind, it flies higher and more steadily when the string connecting hearts remains taut, and pledged that the Gwanak-gu Council would keep its ties with residents strong and fulfill its responsibilities in driving change and development in the district.

At the festival grounds, residents took part in hands-on kite-making and decorating activities, watched demonstrations by professional kite flyers, and joined family kite-flying programs. For parents, the event rekindled childhood memories, while children had a natural opportunity to discover the joy of traditional play and learn the principles of flight.

Multicultural families and foreign residents joined children and teenagers in experiencing Korean traditional culture. Citizens of different generations and cultural backgrounds flew kites under the same sky, exchanging words of encouragement and deepening the spirit of the festival.

Nakseongdae Park is one of Gwanak-gu's most representative public spaces, home to historical and cultural resources connected to Gang Gam-chan, a celebrated general of the Goryeo period. Organizers ran the event as a community-centered festival that wove the district's historical identity into the kite-flying experience.

The festival was selected for the Seoul Metropolitan Government's 2026 private festival support and development project, and admission was free for all residents.