[Report] The Beautiful Return of Silver Smelt Schools at the 'Inje Icefish Festival'

Ice Fishing Site Ice Thickness 29~30cm... 14,000 Ice Holes
Snow Sledding Park and Sanchon Village Snow Village Established... Various Experience Events Held
Inje Consumer Receipt Event... Prizes Including Compact Cars and 55-inch TVs Available

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] If Hwacheon has a Sancheoneo Festival, Inje has a Smelt Festival. The Inje Smelt Festival, which was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, opened on the 20th along with the Lunar New Year holiday.

Smelt Lake in Nam-myeon, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, where the Smelt Festival is held, is surrounded by beautiful mountains, making it an ideal place to escape daily life and heal in a tranquil atmosphere.

The festival is fully prepared with the highlights of the Smelt Festival: the ice fishing site, the snow sledding area, and the Snow Village in the mountain village decorated with ice sculptures.

The 23rd Inje Icefish Festival will be held until the 29th at the Icefish Lake area in Nam-myeon, Inje.
[Photo by Inje-gun]

The smelt fishing site, covering an area of 24,000㎡, has 14,000 ice holes drilled. The ice thickness is around 30 cm, ensuring safety.

An official from the Inje-gun Cultural Foundation said, "The ice thickness measured today is 29-30 cm, solidly frozen, and with the forecast of severe cold starting today, there is no difficulty in operating the core contents of the Inje Smelt Festival, such as smelt fishing and ice rink events."

On the second day of the opening, the 21st, despite the cold around minus 10 degrees Celsius, tourists flocked from early morning to enjoy ice fishing on the vast natural ice field, filling Inje-gun with vitality after a long time.

The holiday scenery has also changed a lot. Anglers who visited the Smelt Festival site with their families for tourism enjoyed a more pleasant journey home. In addition to the joy of catching smelt, they enjoyed the festive atmosphere chatting with their families.

Ice Thickness Measurement
Photo by Inje-gun

Kim Soo-min, who is from Sokcho, said, "In the past, I went straight from Seoul to my hometown, but since the festival is held for the first time in three years, I stopped by with my family to make memories," adding, "There is no better winter travel destination than Gangwon-do to fully enjoy."

Here and there, people who cast fishing rods into the ice holes repeatedly raised and lowered their fishing lines, focusing on catching silvery smelt. Some anglers caught fairly large smelt one after another.

While enjoying ice fishing, a warm cup of coffee offers a moment of relaxation where one can also feel the charm of Naeseorak. Even if no smelt are caught, the experience of the cold is a consolation.

Park Myung-hoon from Bucheon said, "It's my first time at the Smelt Festival, and I really like that I can enjoy sledding and fishing with my family. Ice fishing was harder than it looked, but enjoying it with my family made it more fun," expressing satisfaction.

At Snow Village, which recreates the appearance of a mountain village in Inje in the 1960s with snow and ice, commemorative photos were in full swing. Couples and family tourists also enjoyed sledding at the ice sledding and snow sledding areas.

Singer Lee Chan-won performing at the Inje Icefish Festival celebration concert
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The opening ceremony held in the main square that afternoon was decorated with a performance by popular trot singer Lee Chan-won. Various events such as ATV and Argo rides, ice soccer tournaments, and Winter Sudden Attack competitions are also held.

Inje-gun runs a receipt event during the festival period, giving various gifts daily for consumption receipts within the area. On the last day of the festival, high-value prizes such as compact cars and 55-inch TVs are also prepared.

The 23rd Inje Smelt Festival this year is held until the 29th around Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon, Smelt Lake. No separate admission fee is charged.

The Smelt Festival is a unique festival of Inje-gun where visitors can experience clear and transparent smelt, the snow-covered Naeseorak scenery, and mountain village culture held on the ice.

The Smelt Festival also hosts experience events themed around smelt, nationwide ice soccer tournaments, and Inje-gun residents' Smelt Olympics and other leisure sports competitions.

An official from the foundation said, "We will do our best to make the festival enjoyable and safe so that visitors can take home unforgettable memories."