Two ski resorts open in Gangwon-do marking the beginning of winter season

[Anchor]

Yes, the calendar will turn another page tomorrow, marking the last month of the year, December.

The ski season has begun.

Two ski resorts in Gangwon-do have opened their doors.

On the opening weekend, more than 6,000 people flocked to enjoy the winter scenery.

Reporter Kim Mun-young has the story.

[Report]

At an altitude of 1,050m, the summit of Taegisan offers a vast expanse of snow under a clear sky.

The towering mountain range creates a spectacular view as it blends with the snow.

["Wow."]

White snowflakes bloom on every branch, creating a massive winter wonderland.

[Lee Seong-guk & Yoon Soo-kyung/Mapo-gu, Seoul: "Since it snowed a lot, walking in the ski resort is nice, and seeing the snowflakes makes me feel really good and clears my mind."]

Skiers racing across the snowy fields.

With the first snow, two ski resorts in Gangwon-do have opened.

Thanks to the snowmaking machines running in the bitter cold, they were able to open early.

[Jung Ji-eun/Songpa-gu, Seoul: "Recently, the weather has been so warm that I was really wondering if they could open early. But with the recent snowfall, I’m just so happy."]

[Choi Seong-hoon & Bae Dal-hyun: "It keeps snowing heavily, so the snow condition is really good for opening. There aren’t many countries with four seasons, so I think it’s great that we can enjoy this in Korea."]

On this first opening weekend (Nov. 30), over 6,000 skiers gathered to celebrate the start of winter.

[Yoon Kyung-moon/Ski Resort Manager: "According to statistics from the past three years, the number of visitors to the ski resort is on the rise... There is a demand for various cultural contents, besides skiing, that can be enjoyed at the ski resort."]

The remaining ski resorts in Gangwon-do plan to open their slopes sequentially next month to welcome skiers from across the country.

This is KBS News Kim Mun-young.