A world of snow—magical and fun！6 Must-Visit Winter Festivals in Korea

▲ Korea’s snowy winters offer plenty of fun-filled festivals. (Photo / Provided by Korea Tourism Organization)

Reporter Chen Ziyin / Comprehensive Report

Known as the “country of festivals,” Korea hosts exciting events throughout the year in every season. But what winter festivals are a must when the country is blanketed in snow? The Korea Tourism Organization recommends six major winter festivals in regions such as Gangwon-do and Gyeonggi-do, all themed around snow, snow games, and ice fishing for travelers to explore.

1. Pyeongchang Trout Festival
Date—December 20, 2014 to February 8, 2015
Location—Odaesan Stream area, Jipyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do
Main Activities—Ice fishing for trout, ice rafting, ice racing

According to the Korea Tourism Organization, the first major winter festival to kick off is in Pyeongchang, the host city of the 2018 Winter Olympics. The “Pyeongchang Trout Festival,” which runs from December 20, features a variety of activities including ice fishing for trout, catching trout with bare hands, and sledding.

2. Cheongpyeong Sled Trout & Ice Fishing Festival
Date—December 24, 2014 to February 22, 2015
Location—Cheongpyeong area, Cheongpyeong-myeon, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do (near Cheongpyeong Subway Station)
Main Activities—Ice fishing for trout, ice fishing for icefish, ice sledding

3. Turtle Island Winter Festival
Date—January 2, 2015 to February 1, 2015
Location—Turtle Island area, Gapyeong-gun, Gyeonggi-do (near Gapyeong Subway Station)
Main Activities—Ice fishing for trout, ice cycling, ice sculptures

4. Daegwallyeong Snowflake Festival
Date—January 9, 2015 to January 18, 2015
Location—Hoenggye-ri area, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do
Main Activities—Large snow and ice sculptures, naked marathon event

5. Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival
Date—January 10, 2015 to February 1, 2015
Location—Hwacheon Stream area, Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do
Main Activities—Ice fishing for sancheoneo (mountain trout), ice lanterns, winter town plaza

Introduced by CNN as one of the “Seven Winter Wonders of the World,” the “Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival” attracts over a million visitors from across Korea and abroad each winter. The festival offers challenging experiences such as ice fishing for sancheoneo and catching them with bare hands. To help foreign visitors fully enjoy sancheoneo fishing, the festival also sets up a special fishing area just for them. After catching sancheoneo through ice holes drilled on the frozen Hwacheon River, participants can take their catch to nearby restaurants where it is expertly prepared into delicious dishes like sashimi, spicy fish soup, and grilled fish.


▲ The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival features a special fishing area for foreigners. (Photo / Provided by Korea Tourism Organization)

6. Taebaeksan Snowflake Festival
Date—January 23, 2015 to February 1, 2015
Location – Taebaek Mountain, Taebaek City, Gangwon Province, including Taebaek Mountain Provincial Park
Main activities – Large-scale snowball fight event (once listed in the Guinness World Records), snow sculpture displays


▲The snow-white scenery of Yongpyong. (Photo / Provided by the Korea Tourism Organization)