[Asia Approach] The Minister of Environment Fuels the Sancheoneo Festival

Ahead of the 2020 Sancheoneo Festival, Sancheoneo are being released into the Hwacheoncheon foreigner-only fishing site in Hwacheon-gun.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy, Kyungho Lee, Head of Editorial Planning Team] The early 2000s image of Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon Province, is remembered as a remote area compared to now. It is a border area of Gangwon Province and a remote village with a military base housing 30,000 troops. It was a poor mountain village with a population of about 23,000. Ninety percent of the local resources were mountains and water, and less than ten percent was farmland. Hwacheon-gun launched the Nangcheon Ice Festival in 2000 as a measure to revitalize the underdeveloped economy and promote regional integration. However, since the main tourists were local residents, it was insufficient to boost the local economy. Therefore, they conceived the idea of holding the Sancheoneo Festival, named after mountain (San), stream (Cheon), and fish (Eo). In the first year, more than eight times the local population, about 200,000 people, visited.

The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival (officially called the Ice Country Sancheoneo Festival) saw about a sevenfold increase to 1.8 million visitors in 2019, 16 years later. Approximately 200 tons of Sancheoneo fish were released over about 20 days, roughly 700,000 fish. It has established itself as a world-class festival representing Korea, but as the festival scale grows (with more visitors and more Sancheoneo released), opposition from animal and environmental groups has also increased. This year, Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae poured fuel on the fire at a press briefing on the 6th by stating, "A human-centered feast at the expense of life is not desirable." This has drawn fierce criticism from Gangwon Province, Hwacheon-gun, local residents, and festival lovers alike.

Finding a Lifeline for the Remote Village Hwacheon in the Sancheoneo Festival
200,000 Visitors in the First Year in 2003 to 1.8 Million in 2019
Emerging as a Global Festival Beyond Gangwon with an Economic Effect of 130 Billion KRW
One Word from the Minister of Environment Turns the Festival into a Scene of Disregard for Life

Local governments across the country hold events like festivals despite deficits because it is difficult to sustain the local economy solely through internal demand. By finding themes derived from local characteristics and history and promoting them nationally and globally, they create new tourism demand within the region, generate economic effects, and strengthen local cohesion.

According to the white paper published by Hwacheon-gun, 93% of the total area of 909㎢ consists of lakes and forests, making it a nationally rare pristine area where mountains, rivers, and valleys harmonize, establishing an image of a beautiful natural environment nationwide. However, due to seasonal concentration and insufficient investment in development, there has been a shortage of infrastructure, lodging, and commercial facilities. Overall, summer visitors in July and August accounted for 23% of the total. The fact that 1.8 million people flock to the Sancheoneo Festival held in January and February has a significant effect on the local economy.

According to the '2019 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival Evaluation and Development Plan Research Report' recently released by the Gangwon National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, the direct economic inducement effect of the Sancheoneo Festival reached 130 billion KRW. The average total expenditure per person was 70,891 KRW. Local businesses saw a 51% increase in customers and a 31.7% increase in sales during the festival period compared to usual. The number of gift certificates used during the festival was 295,775. The overall satisfaction of tourists with the 2019 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival, analyzed through a survey by the Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, scored 5.31 out of 7 across 10 items. Foreigners scored even higher at 5.82. Pre-promotion (5.61) and fun (5.53) were above average. The revisit rate of the festival exceeded 50% for the first time at 51.6%.

Who visits this festival? Let’s look at the paper by Professor Jongbu Park of Anyang University, titled 'The Effect of Cultural Tourism Festival Experience on Regional Brand Awareness, Regional Brand Image, and Attitude toward the Region: Focusing on the 2019 Ice Country Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival,' published in the Tourism Journal in May last year. Based on a survey of 251 people, the gender ratio was similar with males at 53.4% and females at 46.6%. Age distribution was 14.7% in their 20s, 17.5% in their 30s, 37.8% in their 40s, 22.3% in their 50s, and 7.6% aged 60 and above, mainly in their 40s and 50s.

Companion types were family/relatives 78.5%, friends/partners 13.1%, groups 3.6%, alone 3.2%, and others 1.6%, indicating a family-friendly festival. Visitors’ residences were Hwacheon (local residents) 4.4% and other regions 95.6%, showing effectiveness in attracting non-local visitors. Regarding the length of stay at the festival site, 3.2% stayed less than 2 hours, 14.7% for 2-3 hours, 20.3% for 3-4 hours, 23.9% for 4-5 hours, and 37.8% for more than 5 hours, with most staying 4-5 hours or longer. Regarding the number of visits to the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival, 36.7% were first-time visitors, 18.7% visited twice, 20.3% three times, and 24.3% four times or more.

Thousands of men diving into fishing at Lake Antogo.

Fishing for Only 15 Minutes a Year on Lake Antogo in Mali, Africa
Thousands of Men Jump In, Creating a Massive and Overwhelming Scene
A Feast for Survival and a Blessing of Life, as Well as a Traditional Ritual

When considering the controversy over the Sancheoneo Festival?whether it is a raw festival or a slaughter sacrificing the raw?two festivals occurring on opposite sides of the globe come to mind as a d?j? vu. On the opposite side of the earth, at Lake Antogo in Dogon, Mali, Africa, fishing takes place. Below a 500-meter-high cliff built between the dry, arid rocks of Dogon lies a small village called Bamba. When the dry season reaches its peak, an ancient fishing ritual is held at the small pond called Antogo. Fishing in the lake is strictly prohibited throughout the year, but on the day Antogo is celebrated, hundreds or thousands of men jump into the water with bare hands to catch fish. They are given only 15 minutes. The spectacle during these 15 minutes is massive and overwhelming. For them, fishing is not a feast of disregard for life but a feast for survival, a blessing of life earned after 365 days of waiting.

The most controversial festival worldwide is the San Fermin Festival held in Pamplona, Navarra, northern Spain. The San Fermin Festival is held annually from July 6 to 14 to honor Pamplona’s patron saint, San Fermin, and runs daily from 8 a.m. for about three and a half hours. During this festival, six bulls are released into the city streets, and daring or reckless participants run to grab the bulls’ horns, often resulting in fatal accidents. These bulls meet their final breath in the bullring after facing bullfighters. This week-long festival attracts one million visitors to a city of 200,000 residents. Visitors reportedly spend an average of $110 per day. The economic effect of the festival exceeds $100 million.

The highlight of the San Fermin Festival in Spain: the Running of the Bulls scene

The San Fermin Festival in Spain, Famous for Bull Running, the Most Controversial Festival
Annual Casualties and Frequent Incidents; Growing Opposition to Bull Slaughter
Spanish Festivals Emphasize Participation, Not Just Spectacle
If the Sancheoneo Festival Were Held with 200 Tons of Dead Fish, Who Would Come?

Animal protection and environmental groups worldwide have continuously opposed the San Fermin Festival. Spain’s traditional sport of bullfighting has long been debated as either tradition or animal cruelty, with frequent protests calling for its ban. The Catalonia regional government banned bullfighting in 2012, but in 2016, the Spanish Constitutional Court ruled that bullfighting is "a cultural heritage and another form of cultural expression." The bull running in the San Fermin Festival has also faced much criticism. Aware of this, the organizers created a separate section titled 'Rumors about the San Fermin Festival' on the festival website, stating, "The bull run is not just releasing bulls recklessly but is conducted with safety measures, and those who do not participate are not harmed at all. Many people simply enjoy watching the bulls from sidelines, balconies, or bullring seats." They also clarified, "Jumping into the fountain in Navarre is not a local tradition and is not a sexually permissible festival."

According to the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Spain, Spanish festivals have various origins, but almost all share the commonality of being 'participatory' rather than 'spectacular.' Through their unique festivals, people take pride in their hometowns and confirm communal identity, gaining new vitality in life. The global fame of many Spanish festivals is less due to artificial planning or strategies for selling specialties, tourism income, or publicity, and more due to the natural temperament of the people who do not forget the spirit of 'festival' with passion and spontaneity.

Returning to the Sancheoneo Festival, animal protection groups opposing it argue that festivals like the Sancheoneo Festival are no longer valid. Although it helps the local economy and generates income, they claim that the environment, animal welfare, climate crisis, and infectious diseases like COVID-19 must now be fully considered. They do not demand the festival’s cancellation but call for replacing live animals with programs that respect life and are eco-friendly. While 700,000 fish may be impossible, if the festival were held with a much smaller number of dead fish, would more than 1.8 million domestic and international tourists still visit the mountain village of Hwacheon-gun? It seems difficult to find a wise answer to this foolish question.