Ice to see you! Visitors from all over the world come to South Korea’s Ice Fishing Festival to catch trout from holes in the frozen river

Thousands of tourists have flocked to South Korea to catch fish with hooks, or even with their bare hands, as part of an annual ice fishing festival.

Hwacheon County in Gangwon Province saw throngs of visitors struggling to catch “sancheoneo” mountain trout from a frozen river after the famous event began today for the first time in three years.

Although it only started 20 years ago, the event has attracted millions of visitors each year and has become a popular celebration due to the many trout that flood the northern province at this time of year.

At small holes in the ice, festival goers, locals and tourists can eagerly await a catch.

When they are victorious, some get so excited that they even put the fish in their mouths or jump into the ice cold water.

In addition to fishing, guests also have the opportunity to try their hand at ice soccer or even taste grilled sancheoneo.

The event takes place just 20 kilometers south of the demilitarized zone that separates North and South Korea.

Photos taken during the January event show fishermen, young and old, trying to catch as many trout as possible.

The event did not take place in 2020 due to unseasonably warm weather as the past two years have been plagued by the Covid-19 pandemic.

To ensure that there is enough fish, around 32 tons of fresh trout have been put into the river every day in the last few years.

Established in 2003, the Gangwon event attracts over a million visitors each year – tourists and locals

After successfully catching Sancheoneo, some festival goers are so excited that they put the fish in their mouths

Many visitors choose to hook the mountain trout, but others pluck them from the icy waters with their bare hands

Contestants wait patiently at small boreholes in the ice and prepare to catch a fish

Many of the guests jump for joy at their triumph, while others are so excited that they jump into the icy water

Two festival-goers tackle a writhing mountain trout in the icy water with their bare hands

Mountain trout, also known as sancheoneo, flood the waters of this northern province during the winter season

Children also participate in the annual event, which was suspended for three years due to hot weather and the pandemic

Although this man reportedly caught 19 mountain trout, he stayed on the ice ready for more catches

Some festival goers have brought chairs to sit in as they anxiously wait for an unsuspecting trout to pass by