Jinju Lantern Festival Parking 2026: Free Shuttles and Traffic Restrictions

Parking addresses, seven free shuttle routes and the published operating dates

Driving to the Jinju Lantern Festival—or arriving at Jinju Station—and wondering where the free shuttle goes? The festival lasts 16 days, but the shuttles run on only nine of them. Choosing a parking lot without checking the date can leave you planning around a bus that is not operating.

The official 2026 transport notice pairs parking addresses with shuttle numbers. This guide separates those dates and routes, keeping the Korean address text available for a map search.

Based on the official transport notice checked October 2, 2026. Arrangements may change.

Jinju Lantern Festival parking and shuttle dates

The festival runs October 3–18. Free shuttles and the temporary parking lots by highway approaches operate October 3–5, 9–11 and 16–18. Shuttle hours are 4–11 p.m. All times in this guide are Korea Standard Time.

For a visit next week, October 9–11 has free shuttle service; October 12–15 does not appear in the published shuttle schedule. October 6–8 is also outside those operating dates. A free shuttle does not establish that every connected parking lot is free.

Temporary parking lots by highway approach

From Jinju IC, the notice points to P1. From Munsan IC, use the P2–P3 group; from Uiryeong or Hapcheon, P4–P6. P7 is the temporary Jinju Station lot for the Jinju IC / Sacheon approach. The Seojinju IC / Sancheong group is P8–P13; Seojinju IC / Hadong is P14–P16; Sacheon IC / Sacheon is P17. All addresses below are in Jinju.

The shuttle number is the association shown in the official parking table. It does not establish a boarding stop inside every listed lot. The published starting points are in the next table.

Seven free shuttle routes and festival-side stops

Routes 1–4 finish at Gyeongnam Culture & Arts Center. Routes 5 and 7 finish at Nabulcheon covered road, while route 6 finishes opposite The House Gapeul. They do not all deliver passengers to the same riverbank stop.

If you arrive by train on a shuttle operating date, route 4 lists Jinju Station as its starting point. The notice gives overall shuttle hours of 4–11 p.m., but no route-specific frequency or final departure from each stop. The 20-minute average below belongs to Hamo Call, not to these seven free shuttles.

Walkable paid and public parking alternatives

The official notice marks P22–P25 as suitable for walking to the event area. Compare their published availability and paid-parking labels before choosing one.

The transport table does not give hourly parking rates or a daily maximum. “Continuously available” for P25 is not a statement that parking is free. P19 at City Hall is available Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, but the official table describes the walk to the festival as difficult. P18 at Nabulcheon is designated for tour buses.

Traffic restrictions around the river

Restriction dates are October 3–5, 9–11 and 16–18. The official table states 4–11 p.m. on holidays and 7–11 p.m. on Fridays; its calendar marks October 9 with the holiday color. These are the three affected road sections, with the Korean landmark names retained for comparison with the notice.

Hamo Call bus fares and river loop

Hamo Call is separate from the free shuttle service. It operates on the same nine designated dates, from 7–11 p.m., with a published average interval of 20 minutes. The fare is KRW 1,650 for adults and KRW 100 for teens and children. Cash is not accepted.

The five stops are Gyeongnam Culture & Arts Center, Namgaram Park, Namgang Music Fountain, Jinju Battle History Park and Jinju Intercity Bus Terminal. Board as you would a city bus; a separate call is unnecessary. Free transfers with city buses are available. Service may pause for safety when fireworks or other events draw dense crowds.

A transport choice that fits your visiting date

On a free-shuttle date, match your highway approach, parking number and shuttle route. On other festival days, compare the walkable parking alternatives or city-bus options. The transport notice does not establish your return city-bus departure time or the unlisted parking prices.

For the riverside setting, read our Jinju Lantern Festival dates and river lights guide.

Source for addresses, dates and fares: official Jinju Lantern Festival transport notice.