After seven years away, the Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) is finally heading back to South Korea . APPT Korea 2026 gets underway tomorrow, September 3, at Paradise City Incheon , kicking off twelve days of tournament action that will run through September 14.

The return comes with plenty to look forward to, led by a KRW 1 Billion (~USD 700,000) guaranteed Main Event and a schedule packed with major tournaments, High Rollers, Mystery Bounties, PLO events, and plenty of faster-paced side events.

But before the Main Event takes over the spotlight next week, there is already plenty happening from the opening day.

The wait is over. We’re SO ready to raise the action in Paradise City – Incheon 🔥🇰🇷

APPT Korea [₩2,000,000+ (US$1.4M) GTD] deals in tomorrow!

📑 Check out the schedule here: https://t.co/0ui8FmdcDc

Will you be the next to raise the shard? 🏆#APPTKorea #PokerStarsLiveAsia pic.twitter.com/G3wmz8iN56

- PokerStars LIVE Manila (@PSLiveManila) September 2, 2026

First Cards in the Air at 11 AM

The first tournament of APPT Korea 2026 starts at 11:00 AM local time with the Paradise City Kickoff – Flight A, carrying a KRW 75,000,000 (~USD 55,000) guarantee for a KRW 600,000 (~USD 440) buy-in.

Players will have two starting flights to choose from on opening day.

Flight A begins at 11:00 AM, followed by Flight B at 4:30 PM, giving players who miss the first flight or simply prefer a later start another opportunity to get into the opening event.

The high roller action does not take long to arrive.

At 1:00 PM, the Warm-up High Roller takes its place on the opening-day schedule, carrying a KRW 1,500,000 (~USD 1,100) buy-in.

Full schedule available on Somuchpoker .

More Action on Opening Night

The opening day does not end with the Kickoff and Warm-up High Roller.

At 7:00 PM, players can jump into the Knockout [KRW 100K Bounty] – Turbo, with a KRW 400,000 buy-in. Then at 9:00 PM, the Mystery Bounty Qualifier – WYS@60K gives players another late-night option, with a KRW 175,000 buy-in.

So while September 3 is technically the first day of a twelve-day festival, players arriving early will already have several ways to get on the tables.

A Long-Awaited Return to Korea

This APPT stop carries a little more weight because of how long it has been since the tour last visited the country.

APPT Korea returns to South Korea for the first time since 2019 , with Paradise City Incheon providing the setting for its twelve-day comeback. The venue is located close to Incheon International Airport and offers players plenty to do away from the tables, with Seoul and the surrounding coastline also within reach.

The timing is also interesting for the APPT.

Mike Takayama - APPT Manila 2026 Main Event Champion — Mike Takayama – APPT Manila 2026 Main Event Champion

APPT Korea follows a record-breaking APPT Manila 2026 , where the Main Event drew 1,413 entries, the largest field in the history of the Manila stop. The festival also recorded 10,777 total entries across 138 events, with a total prize pool of USD 5.26 million.

Local player Mike Takayama capped that festival by defeating Florencio Campomanes heads-up to win the biggest APPT Manila Main Event ever, collecting USD 252,595 and the APPT Shard Trophy.

Mike Takayama Wins Biggest APPT Manila Main Event Ever for PHP 15.5M

Live Poker

Recap

Mike Takayama Wins Biggest APPT Manila Main Event Ever for PHP 15.5M

Mike Takayama defeated Florencio Campomanes to win the record 1,413-entry APPT Manila Main Event and PHP 15.53 million at Okada Manila.

2026.08.11

Now the tour heads to Incheon, where a new chapter begins.

Everything You Need to Know About APPT Korea 2026

Planning to make the trip to Incheon? We’ve put together a complete APPT Korea 2026 guide covering everything you need to know before heading to Paradise City, including the full tournament schedule, key events, buy-ins, guarantees, venue information, and things to do away from the tables.