Boryeong mud: how Daecheon's tidal flat mud became cosmetics and a festival

A festival that began to promote cosmetics made from tidal flat mud

The story of Boryeong mud (Daecheon Beach and the Boryeong Mud Museum)

Boryeong's tidal flat mud became a product in July 1996. Boryeong City processed mud collected from the flats near Daecheon Beach into 17 cosmetic products, including mud packs, and says the line later received ISO 9002 certification in 2001 and passed US FDA safety testing in 2004.^[1][2]

Boryeong City explains that this mud emits more far-infrared rays than imported products and has higher germanium, mineral and bentonite content, citing verification by domestic research institutes. It's worth keeping in mind, though, that these ingredients and benefits are Boryeong City's own explanation.^[1][2]

The festival was created to promote these cosmetics. Boryeong City held the first Boryeong Mud Festival in July 1998 to promote mud cosmetics and Daecheon Beach, and hands-on programs like mud massage, a giant mud pool and mud sliding became its face. In 2026, the festival (No. 29) ran for 17 days, from July 24 to August 9, around Daecheon Beach and Mud Plaza.^[1][2][3]

In March 2026, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization chose the Boryeong Mud Festival, along with the Andong International Mask Dance Festival and the Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival, as a 'Global Festival,' with support of 800 million KRW a year for up to 3 years. The cosmetics are still being made, too: since February 2025, cleansing foam, sheet masks and hair essence have been on sale on Amazon in the US.^[4][5]

In seasons without the festival, people head to the Boryeong Mud Museum in front of Daecheon Beach, whose sandy shore stretches about 3.5 km. It started as an experience center with mud massage, a sauna and a spa, but because of operating difficulties, floor 1 is now a promotional hall and mud shower room and floor 2 is the museum. Admission is free, but mud experiences are said to run only during the beach season, so from October to November it's best to go expecting to see the exhibits and browse mud cosmetics.^[6][7][8]

Good to know before you go

Address

Boryeong Mud Museum: 897-15 Daehae-ro, Boryeong-si, Chungnam / Daecheon Beach (Mud Plaza): 123 Meodeu-ro, Boryeong-si, Chungnam

Hours

Boryeong Mud Museum 09:00–18:00 (per VISITKOREA's English page; date of writing not stated). Daecheon Beach is always open

Closed

Boryeong Mud Museum is closed on Mondays and public holidays, and open with no closing days during the beach season (per VISITKOREA's English page)

Admission

Museum admission is free; mud shower 4,000 KRW; individual mud massage 30,000–190,000 KRW (per VISITKOREA's English page). Festival experience zone: adults 12,000 KRW on weekdays and 16,000 KRW on weekends (as of the 2026 festival, No. 29)

Getting there

From Yongsan Station in Seoul, the Janghang Line Saemaeul or Mugunghwa train takes about 2 hr 30 min to 2 hr 50 min to reach Daecheon Station (per the October 2026 timetable; 14–15 trains a day). In front of Daecheon Station, take a city bus whose destination is 'Daecheonhang (fishing port)' and that passes the beach, then get off at the 'Mud Plaza' stop. The sign may not show the bus number, so it's easier to go by destination. A taxi from the station works too.

Good to know

Hands-on activities like mud showers and massages are said to run only during the beach season (summer). If you go between October and November, plan around the exhibits and browsing cosmetics, and call the museum (041-931-4021) before you leave to check whether it's running. Only 30% of each day's festival experience-zone tickets can be booked online; the rest are sold on site (as of 2026). If you need help in a foreign language, you can ask the tourist interpretation hotline 1330 (+82-2-1330).

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