Tourists at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival on Jan. 14 soak in the festive mood at Hwacheon Stream in the town of Hwacheon-eup in Hwacheon-gun County, Gangwon-do Province (State). (Lee Jun Young)
By Margareth Theresia
Winter festivals and events through next month are scheduled at 58 locations nationwide, along with many consumer discounts like sales to welcome Seollal (Lunar New Year) and vouchers for agricultural and regional specialties.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Jan. 17 said it will collectively promote festivals and events from mid-January to February.
Of the 24 festivals slated for the period, the majority feature the theme of ice and snow. Others spotlight winter food featuring regional specialties and lights.
Two well-known ice and snow festivals are the Hongcheon Winter Festival and the Yeongyang Winter Festival. Visitors to the Hongcheon event can expect interactive venues like an ice fishing area, indoor fishing for families and place for bare-handed catching of ginseng trout using the frozen Hongcheongang River.
The Yeongyang festival offers a variety of activities using ice and snow.
Winter food enthusiasts can try the Gongju Roasted Chestnut Festival in Gongju, Chungcheongnam-do Province, and the Pyeongchang Trout Festival in Pyeongchang-gun County, Gangwon-do.
Another 34 events over the same period will mostly focus on Jeongwol Daeboreum, the day of the first full moon of the lunar new year.
Dalseong-gun County in Daegu, the nation's No. 4 city, will host events like prayer rituals and folk games such as tuho (pitch-pot) to mark Daeboreum. And the fortress Dongnaeeupseong in Busan will have programs such as kite flying contests, making traditional kites and related workshops.
Discounts on regional specialties and food to mark Seollal are also available at traditional markets and on online shopping sites.
Details on the schedules and programs of each festival and event are available on the official websites of each event or local government in charge.
