Pokémon GO’s 2026 Korean autumn events introduced Pikachu wearing an orange hanbok. This historical guide compares Pikachu’s Autumn Picnic and Pikachu’s Korea Outing, descriptive English renderings of the Korean event names. Both windows have ended.
Autumn Picnic ran September 18–October 11 in parts of Seoul’s Jongno-gu and Jung-gu and Incheon International Airport’s HiKR Station. Korea Outing ran September 24–26 throughout South Korea. Neither was a North American regional event.
Both listed one-star raids and free Timed Research for the costume, with Field Research additionally available at Autumn Picnic. Increased Shiny chances were announced without a guaranteed result.
The source reflects the September 16 official announcement. All dates and clock times in this Korea-specific guide are KST, including claim cutoffs; they are not your North American local time.
Original Event Comparison
| Item | Autumn Picnic | Korea Outing |
|---|---|---|
| Dates, KST | September 18, 10 a.m.–October 11, 8 p.m. | September 24, 10 a.m.–September 26, 8 p.m. |
| Area | Selected Jongno-gu/Jung-gu areas and Incheon Airport HiKR Station | South Korea nationwide |
| Hanbok Pikachu | One-star raids, Timed Research, Field Research | One-star raids and Timed Research |
| Shiny chance | Increased | Increased |
| Main bonuses | Two-hour Lure Modules | 2× transfer Candy; 2× raid Stardust |
Autumn Picnic did not cover all of Seoul or Incheon. It applied to selected Jongno-gu and Jung-gu areas and the airport’s HiKR Station, so the actual boundary mattered.
Orange Hanbok Pikachu and Its Shiny
The new costume was Pikachu in an orange hanbok, introduced through these events.
Lucky encounters could also yield Shiny orange-hanbok Pikachu.
Autumn Picnic announced increased Shiny chances through its listed raid and research routes; Korea Outing announced the increase for one-star raids and Timed Research.
The official notice did not publish numeric odds or establish that the two events used identical odds.
Destination attendance did not guarantee success. A sensible collection plan was to increase eligible encounters within the available time rather than rely on a promised catch count.
Autumn Picnic Locations
The 2026 Autumn Picnic ran September 18 at 10 a.m. through October 11 at 8 p.m. KST.
Its listed areas were:
- Selected parts of Jongno-gu, Seoul
- Selected parts of Jung-gu, Seoul
- HiKR Station at Incheon International Airport
The costume was available through one-star raids, Timed Research, and Field Research during the event.
Raid Restrictions at 15 Designated Gyms
The costume raids used 15 designated Gyms within the event coverage.
Their special rules were:
- One event raid participation per designated Gym per day
- No Remote Raid Passes
- Only the designated event Gyms
You could not repeatedly farm that event raid at the same Gym throughout the day.
The source notes a total of 15 Gyms without a separate Seoul/Incheon allocation in the announcement text. The actual map was needed to plan a route.
Where Timed Research Was Obtained
The event offered free Timed Research at specific sites.
The listed acquisition areas were:
- Seoul Gallery, basement level 1 of Seoul City Hall
- Around HiKR Ground, Seoul
- HiKR Station at Incheon International Airport
Event PokéStops featuring orange-hanbok Pikachu were part of the on-site task route. Check the actual research category and acquisition instructions rather than treating every stop task as Timed Research.
The source lists these research rewards:
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| XP | 2,026 XP |
| Pokémon | Orange-hanbok Pikachu encounter |
| Item | One Premium Battle Pass |
| Other | Themed stickers |
Those encounters also had increased Shiny chances.
The Timed Research required task completion and reward claiming by October 11, 2026, 8 p.m. KST
. Completing tasks without claiming before expiry was insufficient. This deadline has passed.
Field Research Added Encounters
Unlike the nationwide event’s listed routes, Autumn Picnic also had event Field Research.
Tasks from event-area PokéStops could reward:
- Orange-hanbok Pikachu
- Other themed Pokémon
- Stardust
Several reward types were listed, so every task was not a costume encounter.
The source describes one task per PokéStop per day, making different stops relevant rather than repeatedly checking one completed task source.
Two-Hour Lure Modules
Within Autumn Picnic’s eligible area, Lure Modules lasted two hours.
The map also displayed themed confetti.
The explicitly described costume routes were raids, Timed Research, and Field Research.
Do not infer that using a Lure guaranteed wild orange-hanbok Pikachu. A duration bonus is not a separate announced costume-spawn route.
Korea Outing: Nationwide Meant South Korea
The alternative for players elsewhere in South Korea was Pikachu’s Korea Outing, not worldwide availability.
Its window was September 24, 2026, 10 a.m.–September 26, 8 p.m. KST across South Korea.
The listed costume routes were:
- One-star raids
- Free Timed Research
Both announced increased Shiny opportunities.
Nationwide Research Rewards
The nationwide event also offered free Timed Research.
Its listed rewards included:
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| XP | 4,500 XP |
| Premium Battle Pass | One |
| Stardust | 5,500 |
| Pokémon | Orange-hanbok Pikachu encounter |
| Additional rewards | Other rewards as listed in-game |
The announcement noted additional rewards beyond that summary.
The destination event’s one-raid-per-designated-Gym-per-day rule was not separately stated in the nationwide section.
That omission did not promise free or unlimited raids. Spawn and pass conditions still required checking in-game; it also did not establish a remote-access exception for the destination event.
Transfer Candy, Not Catch Candy
Korea Outing’s main bonuses were:
- 2× Candy when transferring Pokémon
- 2× Stardust from raids
The map also had fireworks effects.
The important distinction is transfer Candy versus Candy for catching.
During that historical window, planning transfers for September 24–26 could use the bonus.
Favoriting kept costumes and trade candidates helped prevent accidental transfers.
Nationwide Event Ended September 26; Research Ended October 11
These were different cutoffs.
The nationwide event ended September 26 at 8 p.m. KST.
Its Timed Research instead required completion and reward claiming by October 11, 2026, 8 p.m. KST.
In other words:
Nationwide event end: September 26, 8 p.m. KST
Research completion and claim: October 11, 8 p.m. KST
Neither deadline is now open.
A longer research timer did not extend costume raids, transfer Candy, or raid Stardust through October 11.
The research’s own timer was the relevant claim check.
Historical Collection Planning
A collection plan aimed to create more eligible encounters while respecting the event limits.
No fixed number of encounters guaranteed a Shiny.
For the Seoul/Incheon Destination Route
- Identify research acquisition sites.
- Obtain the free research on arrival.
- Check Field Research along the route.
- Use eligible Gyms not yet completed that day.
- Monitor available Raid Passes.
- Claim completed research before leaving when practical.
The destination route’s distinction was an additional Field Research encounter source beyond the listed nationwide paths.
Moving among eligible Gyms and task sources was more useful than waiting for another attempt at the same completed event Gym.
For the Nationwide Korea Window
- Check the research after September 24 at 10 a.m. KST.
- Look for local costume one-star raids.
- Protect collection and trading candidates.
- Use the transfer-Candy window for intended transfers.
- Complete event-bonus play before September 26 at 8 p.m.
- Complete and claim research before its separate timer ended.
The nationwide event also had a boosted Shiny opportunity, so a Seoul/Incheon visit was not required solely to have that opportunity
. Destination travel instead added its specific research route and costs. This is an explanation of the old choice, not current travel advice for an active event.
FAQ
Was Hanbok Pikachu Only in Seoul?
No. During September 24–26, 2026, Korea Outing covered South Korea nationwide. Its listed routes were one-star raids and free Timed Research.
Could the Nationwide Event Yield a Shiny?
Yes, the original notice listed increased Shiny chances for its specified encounters. Exact odds were not published.
Could I Join Autumn Picnic Raids Remotely?
No. The designated destination costume raids did not accept Remote Raid Passes. Attendance at the Gym was required.
Was There One Raid Attempt per Day Total?
For Autumn Picnic, the restriction was once per designated Gym per day. Another designated Gym could provide a different eligible attempt. The nationwide section did not separately list that restriction.
How Many Costume Pikachu Were Guaranteed?
No maximum collection total was guaranteed. Opportunities depended on raids, task availability, and research structure. No encounter count was announced as a guaranteed Shiny threshold.
Was a Free Route Available?
Yes. Both historical events listed a costume encounter through free Timed Research. Autumn Picnic also offered costume opportunities through its Field Research.
Original Checklist, All Times KST
- Autumn Picnic: September 18, 10 a.m.–October 11, 8 p.m.
- Korea Outing: September 24, 10 a.m.–September 26, 8 p.m.
- Destination area: Selected Jongno-gu/Jung-gu areas and Incheon Airport HiKR Station
- Raids: Orange-hanbok Pikachu, one-star
- Shiny: Boosted opportunities in both events
- Destination raids: Once per designated Gym per day; no Remote Raid Passes
- Additional destination routes: Timed and Field Research
- Nationwide bonuses: 2× transfer Candy and raid Stardust
- Timed Research: Complete and claim by October 11, 8 p.m.
Keep Destination and Nationwide Rules Separate
The original autumn events introduced orange-hanbok Pikachu through Korea-specific routes.
The destination offered raids plus both research types, while the September 24–26 nationwide window offered its listed raids and free Timed Research throughout South Korea.
Both announced boosted Shiny opportunities, without guaranteeing one. These windows have ended and do not establish a North American encounter source.
The main scheduling lesson is that the nationwide event ended September 26 while research completion and claims continued only until October 11 at 8 p.m. KST. Keeping event and claim deadlines separate matters for future events too.
Regional and version notes
This localization uses English Pokémon, move, and item names. Global schedules marked local time follow your play location; Korea-only events use KST and the Sendai event uses JST. Ended events are historical, not renewed reward offers. Tactical recommendations and upgrade priorities are editorial guidance, not guaranteed wins or live performance rankings. This article covers ended South Korean events. All its event and claim times remain KST; nationwide means South Korea, not worldwide. Event names are descriptive English renderings of Korean titles. No exact Shiny odds or North American access route is inferred. Some illustrations are retained from the Korean edition and may include Korean labels. Use the English article text for instructions.
Localization sources checked October 23, 2026 (Korea time):