Schools, universities and specialist institutions join 62 experience booths; brain-survival show contestant Heo Seong-beom to give special lecture and strategy game session; event runs Oct. 31 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Nowon Mathematics Culture Center
Seoul's Nowon-gu will host the 2026 Nowon Mathematics Festival on Oct. 31 at the Nowon Mathematics Culture Center.
Organized in partnership with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, the festival launched last year and has expanded its scale and programming for this year's edition.
This year's theme is "Mathematics: Beyond Fun." The event is designed as a hands-on festival where participants can see, touch, think through and compete with mathematical concepts.
The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with schools, universities and specialist institutions joining to offer a wide range of experience programs — including making activities, games, educational tool sessions and inquiry-based learning. The number of experience booths has grown from about 50 last year to 62 this year, spanning AI, coding, robotics, geometry and mathematical crafts.
A stamp tour makes its debut this year, adding another layer of fun to the experience. Participants collect stamps to earn various commemorative gifts, with special perks such as a math photo booth voucher also on offer.
Competitive programs testing mathematical thinking, quick reasoning and teamwork are also on the lineup. The festival highlight, "Challenge! Math Golden Bell," invites participants from third grade and above to tackle math problems in a head-to-head elimination format.
New this year, the "Math Speed Challenge" is a team competition divided into lower and upper elementary school divisions. Teams work together to solve a series of consecutive math missions against the clock, with the mission content revealed only on the day to keep participants on their toes.
A special afternoon program will feature Heo Seong-beom, a contestant on the brain-survival show "Daehak Jeonjaeng," a university-team intellectual competition program. His lecture, "The Art of Strategy," will share his approach to problem analysis, judgment and strategic thinking. A follow-up session, "Strategy Games with Heo Seong-beom," will let participants apply the strategic thinking introduced in the lecture to live brain games against Heo himself.
The venue will also feature a book lounge stocked with math-related titles and a picnic zone for food and snacks. Visitors can move between experience programs, performances and rest areas throughout the day.
The Nowon Mathematics Culture Center was established in 2019 as the first dedicated mathematics culture facility run by a local government in South Korea. Its model — operated directly by a district office rather than an education authority — is considered distinctive in the field. A 2024 renovation added new exhibits and strengthened hands-on content.
Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o said the festival, which began last year, is returning with an even richer program. "I hope this becomes an opportunity for people to experience mathematics not as a subject confined to problem-solving and formulas, but as a culture they can see, touch, think about and enjoy," he said.
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