A daylong festival inviting visitors to awaken their senses one by one and enter a meditative state will be held at Guryongsa Temple on Chiaksan Mountain in Wonju, Gangwon Province. The 2026 Meditation Festival Wonju: Won·Ju (原·注) will take place on Oct. 24 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. around Bogwangnu Pavilion at the temple. The event, organized with support from a Wonju Cultural Foundation arts and culture grant, was planned by artistic director Kim Yoon-kyung, CEO of Mucom and a composer.
A day to return to one’s roots and nurture life: the meaning behind Won·Ju
The festival’s name is drawn from the name of the city, Wonju (原州). It combines 原, meaning “origin” or “roots,” with 注, meaning “to fill,” expressing the idea of returning to one’s roots and being filled with the meaning of life. The name also points to the festival’s setting: a mountain temple. It is an invitation to turn inward for a moment after spending so much time focused on what lies ahead.
Jang Il-sun’s philosophy of life takes the stage in an eight-movement gugak meditation piece
The day’s centerpiece is a newly composed gugak meditation piece. Written in eight movements and inspired by the philosophy of life of Mu Wi-dang Jang Il-sun, the work will be performed for the first time at the festival.
Sound is one of the oldest gateways to meditation. Even for those unfamiliar with closing their eyes and simply observing their breath, following a sound can help slow the pace of thought. As Western sound-based meditation practices such as singing bowls and sound baths have become more familiar in Korea, this piece—shaped by the rhythms and spaciousness of gugak—offers a chance to experience meditation through Korean sounds.
No need to sit for long: meditation through walking, touching and tasting
The program also includes hands-on activities alongside the music: a mindfulness walk with a counseling psychologist, a hanji frottage activity in which participants place paper over objects and rub it to capture their textures, and a temple food offering. Through walking, sensing, making and listening, participants will have a chance to reflect on the relationship between people and nature.
Each sensation—from the feel of footsteps and fingertips rubbing paper to the taste of the food offering—can become an entryway to meditation. For modern people who spend much of the day in front of screens and rarely engage their bodies, this format offers an accessible alternative that does not require sitting still for long. Those who find seated meditation difficult or enjoy music or crafts may find an approach that suits them here.
“I hope this will be a chance for participants to slow down the pace of everyday life for a while and discover the vitality within themselves,” said artistic director Kim Yoon-kyung.
A Korean-style meditation festival woven from gugak, a mountain temple and hanji
The festival’s distinctive feature is how it brings together meditation and elements of Korean culture, including gugak, Buddhism, hanji and temple food. As a meditation festival planned by a composer with support from a local cultural foundation, it also reflects a broader trend of meditation expanding beyond places of spiritual practice into the arts and culture scene. The more such efforts take shape through Korean sounds and settings, the more varied the faces of K-meditation that can be introduced to the world are likely to become.
Register through Naver Booking; limited to the first 50 participants
Registration is available through Naver Booking and is limited to the first 50 participants. Admission is 20,000 won, or 15,000 won for early-bird bookings.
Event: 2026 Meditation Festival Wonju: Won·Ju (原·注)
Date and time: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
Location: Around Bogwangnu Pavilion at Guryongsa Temple on Chiaksan Mountain, Wonju, Gangwon Province
Program: Premiere of an eight-movement gugak meditation piece, mindfulness walk, hanji frottage activity and temple food offering
Registration: Naver Booking; limited to the first 50 participants
Admission: 20,000 won; early-bird price, 15,000 won
Press inquiries: fare3041@naver.com