Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival opens

[Anchor]

The entire nation is frozen due to a cold wave, but there are places where the cold is actually welcomed.

One of those places is Hwacheon, Gangwon Province.

The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival, where you can experience the thrill of fishing on a frozen lake, has opened.

Our reporter Go Soon-jeong visited the site.

[Report]

The frozen lake was filled with people.

A 1km long river has transformed into a massive ice fishing area the size of 30 soccer fields.

People are bundled up in thick coats and hats.

They are casting their fishing rods into the holes drilled in the ice, losing track of time.

["I got one!"]

A silver mountain trout is flopping and being pulled up by the fishing line.

[Kim Yong-hyun/Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province: "It's a joy that you can't feel unless you experience the thrill and excitement with family."]

At the bare-handed mountain trout catching experience area, people dressed in short sleeves and shorts have gathered.

["Go!"]

Ignoring the cold, they jump into the icy water.

When they catch a mountain trout they were chasing, they cheer and quickly stuff it into their clothes to avoid losing it.

[Yoon Seok-chang/Gyeryong, Chungcheongnam-do: "This level of cold is something a man can endure. Besides, I caught four!"]

The mountain trout caught by hand can be enjoyed immediately as fresh sashimi or grilled over a fire.

[Choi Jun-hyuk/Dongjak-gu, Seoul: "The mountain trout was salty, savory, and delicious, and I think it was even better with ramen."]

The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival has established itself as a representative winter festival in Korea, attracting over a million visitors each year.

This year, there are even more attractions, including a 100m long sledding track that extends onto the ice.

The festival will also feature an exhibition of ice sculptures made from world-famous landmarks and a lantern festival with 'sancheoneo lights' throughout the event.

This is KBS News Go Soon-jeong.