HWACHEON, South Korea: The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, a highly anticipated annual event, commenced its nearly month-long festivities in the northeastern county of Hwacheon on Saturday. The festival, renowned for its ice fishing activities, attracted over 100,000 visitors on its first day, both from South Korea and around the world.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, set in the remote mountain town in Gangwon Province, near the inter-Korean border and about 90 kilometers northeast of Seoul, will run through January 28. The festival features a variety of activities including ice fishing, where participants, including families and tourists, eagerly tried their hand at catching sancheoneo, a trout species that thrives in clean freshwater. The Hwacheon stream, transformed into a bustling fishing site, saw numerous visitors engaging in this winter tradition.
Kim Min-seok, 35, from Seoul, shared his excitement about the event, "It's not so cold for winter, and catching a sancheoneo the size of my arm is a thrill." The festival also offers outdoor grilling areas for visitors to cook their catch, with some diners providing cutting and plating services for those who bring their own trout.
Adding to the festival's international appeal, a foreigners-only fishing site was set up, where participants could catch fish with their bare hands in cold water. Besides fishing, the festival also includes sledding and other winter rides, as well as an exhibition hall showcasing ice sculptures.
Since its inception in 2003, the Hwacheon festival has consistently attracted over a million visitors each year, gaining global recognition. The festival was once hailed as one of the world's seven wonders of winter by a leading global news organization. Although the festival was closed in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it made a strong comeback last year, drawing over 1.3 million visitors.
This year, the organizers plan to release 160 tons of sancheoneo into the 61,654 square meter frozen river and operate exclusive fishing and resting areas for foreign tourists, anticipating about 100,000 international visitors. The festival not only celebrates winter activities but also symbolizes national security and peace, as Hwacheon was a significant battlefield during the 1950-53 Korean War.
The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has become a vital part of the local economy, generating over 100 billion won (approximately US$76.5 million) in direct economic effects annually. Local restaurants, hotels, and souvenir makers significantly benefit from the festival's success.