October is beginning with a little magic in southern Korea. The 2026 Jinju Namgang Yudeung Festival (진주남강유등축제) opens tomorrow, October 3, and runs through October 18, around the Namgang River and Jinjuseong Fortress in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do. (korean.visitkorea.or.kr⁠)

For today’s Korean lesson, we’re heading from the neighborhood grocery aisle to a riverside after dark—with lanterns, reflections, and a few expressions to try.