WARM TEMPERATURE AND WINTER FESTIVALS

[Anchor Lead]

Warm temperatures are continuing with afternoon highs hovering over 10 degrees Celsius. Now this is bad news for winter festivals. The Pyeongchang Trout Festival for instance has delayed its opening by one week, while fish drying farms and ski slopes are also struggling with the mild weather.

[Pkg]

Ohdaecheon Stream, where the Pyeongchang Trout Festival will be held. With afternoon highs climbing to 12 degrees celsius, thin ice can easily be found on the surface of the water. To enjoy trout fishing here, the ice needs to be at least 15 centimeters thick. The opening date for the festival was eventually pushed back from December 21st to the 28th.

[Soundbite] GWON YONG-TAEK(PYEONGCHANG TROUT FESTIVAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE) : "Delaying the opening was inevitable as the ice was melting quickly in the warm weather."

Organizers estimate the one week delay would cause an on-year drop in the number of visitors of around 200-thousand. A pollack-drying farm located 700 meters above sea level, is also affected by warm temperatures. They could only begin hanging the fish to dry in the open air more than ten days later compared to last year.

[Soundbite] LEE DAE-YEONG(DRIED POLLACK FARMER) : "We usually hung Pollack to dry in early December, but we can't do that when the temperature is above zero."

These are alarming conditions for Ski resorts as well. Here, ten out of 21 slopes could not open. Various festivals, sports and farms operating in cold weather are bearing the brunt of the unusually mild winter.