Hwacheon ice fishing festival kicks off in Gangwon

The 2026 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival kicked off in Gangwon Province on Saturday, looking to draw nearly 2 million visitors this year.

The annual ice fishing event, which has become well-known among not only Koreans but also foreigners, will run through Feb. 1.

According to event organizers, this year event is expected to draw over 100,000 foreign visitors who will be hoping to catch Sancheoneo, a species of trout that is known to live in clean water, on the frozen Hwacheon river.

Last year's event drew some 1.86 million visitors with about 120,000 being foreign visitors.