Winter Festival Season

[Anchor Lead]

Korea is still in the grips of a frigid cold snap, but many folks are embracing the winter weather. Festival sites are bustling with visitors. At the Inje Smelt Festival, the ice has frozen thick, which is perfect for ice fishing.​

[Pkg]

The upper stream of Soyangho Lake where smelt fish are concentrated has completely frozen amid temperatures around minus-20 degrees Celsius. A festival has begun as snow piles are dusted away and snow sculptures emerge in glorious form. At the smelt fishing area, tourists from across the country enjoy ice fishing by making holes into thick ice.

[Soundbite] "Yes, I caught another one! That's two fish!"

Yes it is cold, but they are oblivious to the passing of time.

[Soundbite] Kim Hyeon-ok(Visitor) : "I waited so long to come and I'm having so much fun. The catch is more plentiful than I expected. It's fun as much as it's freezing cold."

Last year, ice did not fully form and the fishing ground wasn't able to open. But this year, the ice is over 30 centimeters thick. A resting area is also open for people to warm themselves. Preparations are all set to receive visitors.

[Soundbite] Kim Oh-jeong(Inje Cultural Foundation) : "At the resting area, visitors can warm up in a birch wood foot bath while children can enjoy role playing experiences of future jobs."

The festival offers various programs where people can go sledding on snow and ice, and try bobsleighing. The Inje Ice Fishing Festival which opened Saturday continues through February 4.