Gangwon Province to Strengthen Safety Management of Winter Festivals and Enhance Its Status as the Top Winter Tourism Destination

Six Major Winter Festivals in Gangwon, Including Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival, to Undergo Safety Inspections
Joint Safety Checks by Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Local Governments, Police, and Fire Departments

On January 12, Gangwon Provincial Government announced its intention to further strengthen its status as the top winter tourism destination in Gangwon through systematic safety management of large-scale winter festivals held in the province.

Exterior view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government

Taking into account that winter festivals are held in cold and icy conditions, the province will conduct "preliminary safety management checks and joint on-site inspections with relevant agencies" for all winter festivals held within Gangwon. Through these measures, the province aims to prevent safety accidents in advance, and will require the installation of cold wave shelters at all festival venues to proactively prevent health issues such as hypothermia caused by extreme cold.

In particular, for six major winter festivals in the province-including the 2026 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival (January 10-February 1), recognized as one of the world's top four winter festivals and attracting over one million visitors annually since its first event in 2003; the Pyeongchang Trout Festival (January 9-February 1), which has established itself as a representative winter festival in Gangwon; the Hongcheongang Frozen Festival (January 9-25); the Cheorwon Hantangang Ice Trekking Festival (January 17-25); the Taebaeksan Snow Festival (January 31-February 8); and the Daegwallyeong Snowflake Festival (February 13-22)-the province will strengthen safety management in cooperation with the respective county offices, police stations, fire departments, and other relevant organizations.

Yeo Junghyup, Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs of Gangwon Provincial Government, stated, "As many tourists are expected to visit festival venues in the province during the winter, we will do our utmost to prevent accidents and respond on-site so that all visitors can enjoy the winter festivals with peace of mind." He also requested, "We ask all tourists to follow safety guidelines and actively cooperate in maintaining order at the festival sites."