Visitors from around the world descend on South Korean ice fishing festival to catch trout
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Ice to see you! Visitors from all over the world descend on South Korea’s ice fishing festival to fish for trout from holes cut in the frozen river.
- Festival goers are fishing with hooks and their bare hands at the festival in Gangwon, Hwacheo
- Visitors were photographed fighting for trout as the event began today for the first time in three years.
- Upon making a successful catch, some jump into the icy water or even put the fish in their mouths.
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Thousands of tourists have flocked to South Korea to fish with hooks or even with their bare hands as part of an annual ice fishing festival.
Hwacheon county, Gangwon province, has seen throngs of visitors scrambling to catch ‘sancheoneo’ mountain trout from a frozen river after the renowned event kicked off today for the first time in three years.
Although it was launched only 20 years ago, the event has attracted millions of annual visitors and has become a favorite celebration for the abundance of trout that floods the northern province at this time of year.
Festival goers, both locals and tourists, can be seen waiting anxiously near small holes in the ice before making a catch.
Upon success, some get so excited that they even put the fish in their mouths. or jump into the freezing water.
In addition to participating in fishing, guests also have the opportunity to try ice soccer or even try grilled sancheoneo.
The event takes place just 12 miles south of the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea.
Crowds gather both inside and outside a small pond ready to fish for trout in South Korea’s frozen river.
Pictures taken at the January event show anglers young and old trying to catch as many trout as possible.
The event did not take place in 2020 due to unusually hot weather, while the last two years have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
To make sure there is enough fish, around 32 tons of fresh trout have been added to the river every day in previous years.
The Gangwon event, launched in 2003, has attracted more than a million visitors a year, including tourists and locals.
Some festival goers get so excited after a successful catch of sancheoneo that they put the fish in their mouths.
Many visitors choose to fish for mountain trout with hooks but others catch them from the icy water with their bare hands.
Participants can be seen waiting patiently near small holes drilled in the ice, preparing to catch a fish.
When they succeed, many of the guests jump for joy, but others get so excited that they jump into the icy water.
Two festival goers can be seen catching a writhing mountain trout with their bare hands in the icy water.
The mountain trout, called sancheoneo, floods the waters of this northern province during the winter season
Children also participate in the annual event, which has been halted for three years due to hot weather and the pandemic.
Despite catching what appears to be 19 mountain trout, this man continued to sit by the ice ready for more catch.
Several festival-goers have brought chairs to sit on as they anxiously wait for an unsuspecting trout to arrive.