January 16, 2014

The Korean daily media headlines and humor

Thursday, January 16, 2014

  

Good morning, Excellency!
Here are The Korea Post news, African proverbs, humor from Korean-language economic dailies, and a roundup of important headlines from all major Korean-language dailies, TV and other news media this morning:
/s/
        
Lee Kyung-sik
Publisher-Chairman
Korea Post Media
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The Korea Post notice:

Is your National Day coming up soon? Or is the Head of State of your esteemed country visiting Korea soon?

You may have the portrait painting of your Head of State painted by a famed Korean portrait artist who has painted the portraits of President George W. Bush, President Lee Myung-bak at Cheong Wa Dae, President Park Chung-Hee, the then First Lady Park Geun-hye and various other most important persons of Korea and the world.
Price of the portrait painting is normally 30 million won (US$30,000) for 30 Ho (90cm x 72cm) which, however, is discounted to mere two to five million won (US$2,000 to US$5,000) for the same size because the balance is covered by the promotional coverage of the artist involved provided by the four media units of The Korea Post (one print monthly and three electronic media).

These famed Korean artists are also famous for their landscapes, figure painting (including nudes) and still life works. Please visit the following sites of The Korea Post Internet for sample paintings.

Please directly call Chairman Lee of The Korea Post at 010-5201-1740 for immediate contact with the artists.

http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=3http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=11http://koreapost.koreafree.co.kr/board/index.html?id=artgallery&no=1

President George W. Bush of the United States of America (right) with Artist Chung Hyung-Mo of The KoreaPost at the Korean Presidential Mansion of Cheong Wa Dae during the former’s official state visit to the Republic of Korea.

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'One of Seven Wonders of Winter' for a 22-day run

Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival opens Jan. 4 

Ambassadors and families are invited to attend the Festival on

Thursday January 17, 2014.

(Further details and photos are toward the end of this Headlines.)

Ambassadors, madams and other members of the Diplomatic Corps pose for the camera on board the 'Ice breaker' that carried the visitors to the Peace Dam and Peace Bell via the Paro-ho Lake.

The VIP guests are also offered an opportunity to toll the Peace Bell of the World, shake hands with the Nobel Laurates (former President Mikhail Gorbachev of Russia, the late former President Kim Dae-jung, Rigoberta Menchu Tum of Guatemala, Jose Ramos Horta of Indonesia,  Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, Dalai Lama of Tibet, Elizateth Willians of the United Kingdom, Desmond Mpilo Tutu of Soouth Africa, and the noted figures of many other countries of the world), and a visit to the 'Water Museum of the Republic of Korea managed by K-Water.

They are also invited to toll the Peace Bell of the World which was made with the expended bullets and shells donated by many countries of the world where there have been conflicts as a token of expression of hopes for peace in the world.

Nestled between the town of Hwacheon and the mountains, the Hwacheon River is not only covered by a thick layer of ice, but also by thousands of festival participants.
Ambassadors and families are invited to attend the Festival on Friday January 17, 2014.

Ambassadors and senior diplomats are invited with their spouses and families to attend the Festival on Thursday January 17, 2014. Individual invitation has already been transmitted to the Ambassadors and the senior diplomats. In the event of our transmission failure, please contact Ms. Kim Jeong-mi at Tel 2298-1740/2, 010-3388-1682 or edt@koreapost.com. English-speaking callers please contact David Chung at the same number and email address.
(Further details and photos are at the end of this Headlines.)


The Korea Post news

There are only three days to the tour of the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival on Friday January 17, 2014.
Partly cloudy skies are forecast for the Hwacheon area that day with a high of plus 1 degree and low of minus 5 degrees, Centigrade. Excellencies and Madams whom we might have failed to reach for invitation, please contact Chairman Lee at 010-5201-1740 (English) or 010-3388-1682 (Korean).

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Dr. Sang-Ki Hahn's African wise-sayings:

When the chicken drinks, it lifts up its head unto God.
- A Ghanaian proverb

Home is not far as long as you are alive.
- A Kenyan & Tanzanian proverb

One lie destroys a thousand truths.
-A Ghanaian proverb

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Humor from Korean-language economic dailies this morning:

Seoul Kyungje

A big-game hunter took his wife and his mother-in-law on a safari.
One evening, while they were deep in the jungle, his wife woke up to find her mother missing. She rushed to her husband and insisted that they both must try to find her.
He grabbed his rifle and began to search.
In a clearing not too far from their camp they came upon a frightening sight.
There was the mother-in-law, backed up against a tree, with a large male lion facing her.
"What are we going to do?" the wife cried.
"Not a thing," replied the hunter. "The lion got himself into this disaster, he can get himself out of it!"

Hankuk Kyungje
Worn-out
Finished with a number of unscheduled patients one morning, the doctor needed a break and took an early lunch.
In the hospital canteen, he sat down, placed his hands over his eyes and thought, “I’ll scream if another patient shows up without an appointment.”
Opening his eyes, he saw an elderly woman approach him. “You know, I was nervous about bringing my husband to the hospital,” she said. “But now I know this place is okay, because the doctors pray before eating.”
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KBS (
http://world.kbs.co.kr/english/news/)

S. Korean President Arrives in India for State Visit
President Park Geun-hye arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for her four-day state visit to India.
DP Chief Says Principle of Sunshine Policy Remains Effective
Main opposition Democratic Party Chairman Kim Han-gil says he will retain the general principle of the “sunshine policy” on North Korea amid a controversy over his pledge to establish a new policy on the North.

Gov't to Expand Support for Growing No. of Multicultural Families
Anchor: The government says it will make learning the Korean language easier for immigrants amid an increasing number of multicultural families in South Korea. Prime Minister Chung Hong-won held a meeting to update policies for immigrants and their multicultural families.

BOK: Sluggish Service Sector to Delay Feelings of Economic Recovery
South Korea’s economy is expected to recover this year but it may be too soon for Koreans to actually feel the resurgence in their daily lives.

Gov't Introduces Blueprint for 3-year Economic Reform Plan
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Hyun Oh-seok has presented the government's outline for its economic reform measures.
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Yonhap (http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr)

U.S. House attaches 'comfort women' issue to spending bill
The U.S. House of Representatives took another landmark step Wednesday against Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean and other Asian women during World War II, formally calling on the secretary of state to pay more attention to the matter.

Park arrives in India on 'sales diplomacy' trip
President Park Geun-hye arrived in India on Wednesday on a trip aimed at opening the world's second-most populous nation wider to South Korean businesses and laying the foundation for winning construction projects in a nation with a massive demand for infrastructure.

Russel says world can't afford Seoul-Tokyo tensions
The Obama administration's top Asia hand said stand-offs between South Korea and Japan, as well as tensions between China and Japan, threaten the international community, strapped with a fragile economy.

N. Korea demands cancellation of S. Korea-U.S. drills
North Korea on Wednesday demanded that South Korea and the U.S. cancel their annual joint military drills scheduled to begin in late February and continue through April, warning that the drills would destroy inter-Korean relations.
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The Korea Herald (http://www.koreaherald.com)

President seeks nuclear tie-up on India trip
President Park Geun-hye began her first day in India on Wednesday with the aim of bolstering bilateral cooperation on th...

News ListState intervention not solution to history textbook conundrum
As controversy over the historical accuracy of a textbook snowballed into an ideological war, t...

Samsung breaks mold in hiring
Samsung Group, the nation’s largest conglomerate, said Wednesday that it would revamp its recruitment process in a bid to reduce unnecessary social costs related to exams and priv...

U.S. businesses hope for seats on Korea’s creative economy team
The chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea on Wednesday asked the government to ...

Court denies arrest warrant for former K...

Russel says world can't afford Seoul-Tok...

Senate panel approves Seoul-Washington n...

U.S. House attaches 'comfort women' issu...

N. Korea demands cancellation of S. Kore...

Michelle Obama won't rule out plastic su...

Tencent to Pay $193 Million to Buy China...

2NE1 announces world tour, title of new ...

Why so many churches in Korea?

Audit urged on Seoul’s contribution to ...

Seoul shares close higher on recovery ho...

Ex-U.S. defense chief calls Roh ‘crazy’

Korea’s medical fees much lower than in...

Korea to overhaul services for multicult...

Ministry cancels state English test
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The Korea Times (http://www.koreatimes.co.kr)

Park opposes Japan for `6th' UNSC seat
President Park Geun-hye is showing no signs of abating her wrath against Japan. This time, Park took issue with Japan’s qualifications to become the sixth permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), under its...

'LG G Flex has bumps on surface'
LG Electronics’G Flex smartphone has a possible defect - bumps on the surface of its display, consumers and technology experts say. LG claims it does not affect the function and quality of the phone but experts argue that the c...

`Koreas close to war in 2010' 
South and North Korea were about to engage in a full-fledged military conflict in November 2010 fo... 

NY Times' blunted pen on Asian history 
If there is anything to criticize the New York Times about over its editorial equating President P... 

Korea to get dose of 'Moneyball' 
For the casual sports fan, the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) is synonymous with “s...

 

Simple problem-solving helps diagnose Alzheimer's  
New research suggests a simple 15-minute-long problem-solving exercise could help diagnose early s... 

Psy jams with Snoop Dogg here  
World star Psy is filming his new music video in Korea with American hip-hop rapper Snoop Dogg. 

New AMCHAM leader calls for deregulation  
James Kim, the new chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), called on Seoul... 

Microsoft may face class action 
Microsoft (MS) may face a class action suit in Korea for abusing its dominant position over Intern... 

Homegrown English test to be phased out  
The Ministry of Education said Wednesday that it will not hold the National English Ability Test (... 

Korea, Japan vie for UNESCO listing regarding forced labor  
Seoul and Tokyo are competing for UNESCO listing regarding the history of forced labor during Worl... 

Emissions trading market to open 
Korean companies will begin trading their carbon-emission rights here on Jan. 1 of next year, bour... 
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Dong A (http://english.donga.com)

US broadcaster airs investigative report on N. Korea
“I cannot chop wood because I lost my arm due to a train accident.” This is what nine-year-old kkotjebi (homeless child in North Korea) who starved for days said when a cameraman asked him “Why don’t you chop wood to...

‘Democratic Party to draft bill on N. Korea`s human rights at party level’
In his New Year’s press conference at the National Assembly on Monday, main opposition Democratic Party Chairman Kim Han-gil said, “We will strive to achieve political innovation that can overcome outdated way of...

Jeonse rent prices are higher in autumn than in spring
A would-be-bride who plans to get married in October this year is quarreling with her would-be husband over house rent. Due to severe scarcity of Jeonse (a unique Korean house rental system in which a tenant pays...

Companies to reduce new hiring by 1.5% this year
The jobs market is flashing warning signs. A considerable number of large companies said they will hire less new employees this year. A massive number of people were unable to land a job last year due to record job...

NYT must apologize for wrong views on Korea’s history textbooks
The New York Times, a flagship newspaper in the U.S., treated Japan’s distortion of past history and the Korean government’s recommendation to revise history textbooks, in its editorial entitled “Politicians and Textbooks..

Can Abe be stopped in Tokyo? 
I have been gloomy since Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited the Yasukuni Shrine. Such a move would only push further away a breakthrough in Japan`s strained ties with South Korea and China.

N. Korea`s nuke-tipped missile can be major threat to Seoul: scholar
A specialist on North Korea has argued that North Korea`s intermediate missile carrying a nuclear warhead will likely be a major threat on the Korean Peninsula.
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Chosun Ilbo (http://english.chosun.com)

North Comes to Mind First When Foreigners Think of Korea
North Korea is the first thing that comes to the mind of foreigners when they think about Korea. North Korea ranked at the top of the image foreigners most often associated with Korea, according to the Presidential Council on Nation Branding.

Kim Jong-un Appears More Frequently in Public
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un made 209 official public appearances last year, over one-third more than the previous year, the Unification Ministry said Tuesday. Kim made 71 visits to business projects of one kind or another.

40% of Teens Play Games on Phones for 1 Hour a Day
Four in every 10 Korean youngsters play games on smartphones for over one hour a day, a report by the Korea Communications Agency suggests. The report found that overall 27.5 percent of those who plays games on mobile devices spend more than one hour a day doing it.

Big Firms to Dial Down Recruitment in 2014
The nation's top 500 companies will hire fewer employees this year compared to 2013. According to a survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, 243 of the largest firms...

Choo Shin-soo Returns to Texas for Warm-up Training
Texas Rangers outfielder Choo Shin-soo left for the U.S. on Wednesday after wrapping up his two-week sojourn back home in Korea. He will undergo personal training for a month...

Han Ji-min Grunges Out But Still Adorable in New Movie
Actress Han Ji-min has enjoyed unfailing popularity over the years for her portrayal of angelic characters in movies and TV soaps. The 32-year-old has further endeared herself to...

Hollande Defends Africa Strategy, His Right to Privacy
French President Fran?ois Hollande says European countries likely will offer military backing to France's operation in the conflict-torn Central African Republic, and he denies his country is going it alone in defusing crises overseas.
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Hankyoreh (http://english.hani.co.kr)

The aftermath of worker bloodshed in Cambodia
Businesses getting back on track after crackdown on workers that involved S. Korean embassy
On Jan 14, about fifty Cambodian soldiers were scattered around the Canadia industrial complex in Phnom Penh carrying guns and ammunition belts. Some soldiers were in the factory chatting or taking a nap in a hammock. Those outside of the factory were under a tent but didn’t seem be on guard.

Government plan confirms move toward greater reliance on nuclear power
The government’s second basic energy plan for 2014-2035, adopted by the Cabinet on Jan. 14, confirms a policy of addressing energy needs with more nuclear power plants.
The plan’s adoption shows the government’s intention to continue building plants in spite of the people’s safety concerns, which have escalated in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. If the plan goes into effect, the number of nuclear reactors in South Korea would increase from 23 today to around 39 by 2035.

The dangers of the ‘economic tilt’ toward Samsung
Since the beginning of 2014, a fierce debate has been raging about the “economic tilt” caused by the country’s biggest chaebol Samsung, which controls an excessively large portion of the South Korean economy. Ironically, speculation about a crisis at Samsung - triggered by the slowdown in profits at Samsung Electronics in the fourth quarter of 2013 - prompted concerns about the risk that the concentration of economic power at Samsung has for the economy as a whole. In response, the conservative establishment referred to these claims as wild conjecture based on sloppy statistics.

South Korean healthcare could be moving toward profit-driven model
Government plans to pave the way for medical corporate affiliates to engage in various for-profit activities have critics concerned that external investors in South Korea and abroad could hurt the public service character of health care in their search for high profits.

S. Korea and US hold first preliminary discussions on TPP participation
On Jan. 13, South Korea and the US held preliminary bilateral discussions in Washington on the possibility of South Korea participating in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP).
This is the first time that the South Korean government has moved forward with preliminary bilateral discussions with one of the current participants in the TPP talks since it expressed its interest in taking part on Nov. 29, 2013. 
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Joong Ang (conservative): (http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/)

Park disappointed about North’s reunion stance
President Park Geun-hye said she regrets that North Korea continues to refuse to discuss humanitarian issues with the South, including the reunions of war-separated families.During an interview with the Indian national broadcast network Doordarshan on Jan. 9 in the Blue House, which was broadcast…

Gates memoir calls Roh ‘a little crazy,’ lauds MB
Former U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s description of the late President Roh Moo-hyun as “anti-American and probably a little crazy,” as written in his new memoir…

Samsung tries a fresh approach for new recruits
Samsung Group said yesterday that it will reduce its dependence on aptitude tests to choose new hires, admitting that its own custom-made test has cost job applicants…

Posco identifies 5 CEO candidates
Five finalists have earned a shot at becoming the next leader of Posco as the nation’s largest steelmaker officially launched the committee to select the next chairman…

Chinese tourists hit all-time high
On a recent afternoon, large crowds of Chinese people swarmed through the middle of the Myeongdong area, central Seoul’s primary shopping district…

Gov’t plans family center reforms
The government announced yesterday new measures to overhaul existing support programs for growing numbers of multicultural families in the country to improve…

Celltrion gets nod for 2nd biosimilar in local market
Celltrion, a Korea-based biopharmaceutical company, said yesterday it has won approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) for its anti-cancer drug Herzuma…

Convergence master’ leads new Science Ministry
Going into his second year as minister of science, ICT and future planning, Choi Mun-kee feels burdened. Much focus has been on him and his ministry…

Mergers with pop culture good for art business
These days, pop culture stars are increasingly familiar figures in the world of Korean contemporary art.Actors Ko Soo and Han Hyo-joo will appear in the media artwork…

Amcham anxious to pitch in
James Kim, the new chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, has expressed interest in contributing to President Park Geun-hye’s creative economy…

Strong U.S. data gives market a boost
Korean shares rebounded yesterday on signs of improving economies in the United States and Europe. The benchmark Kospi rose 7.21 points to 1,953.28 yesterday…

SK Telecom will be adviser on LTE network in Shanghai
SK Telecom is exporting its long-term evolution network (LTE) technology to China, the nation’s No. 1 mobile carrier said yesterday after signing a contract …

Google Korea searches for answers
The Korean hit drama series “Respond, 1994” which went off the air two weeks ago after attracting a huge following on cable TV, traces the history of Korea’s Internet portals…
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Edaily (http://eng.edaily.co.kr/Stock/)

[US the closing price]The U.S. Dow Jones Index, 108.08p( 0.66%) slightly up.
The U.S. Dow Jones Index Closing (At 2014.01.15) The Dow closed at 16,481.94p, slightly up 108.08p( 0.66%...

[Table]Exchange Rate Quotation
This is Exchange rate Quotation offered by Korea Exchange Bank. [table] Exchange Rate Quotation Offered by KEB ...

[Table]Exchange Rate Currency Crossrate
2014.01.16 08:10(Korean time), this is Currency Crossrate of major 12 countries. [table] FX Cross Currency ...

[Closed] Domestic rate of return of final bid closed. 3-year government bond up 0bp.
This is the rate of return of final bid. Quoted by Korea Financial Investment Association, domestic rate of return of final bid of 3-year government bond recorded at 2.91%, up (0bp) from yesterday. ...
[Closed]Dollar-won 1,062.70won, slightly up 3.60won( 0.34%)
15:02, Korean won closed at 1,062.70won per dallar slightly up 3.60( 0.34%) from previous day. [table] currently market of won dollar ...
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Maeil Kyungje (neutral-oriented conservative, economic/business): (http://news.mk.co.kr/english/)

KDI: S. Korea would follow footsteps of Japan without restructuring
South Korea’s economy would remain trapped in anemic growth without across-the-board corporate restructuring, said a public think tank Korea Development Institute (KDI). This is a wake-up call that as one out of three conglomerates cannot even repay interest with their earnings, a failure to execute pre-emptive restructuring could aggravate corporate profitability further, propelling all of them to collapse.“Deleveraging is inevitable to weather thr...

Samsung to grant college rights to recommend students
Samsung Group is set to diversify its hiring system by regularly sending out recruiters to universities to find talented applicants. The South Korean conglomerate will also revive the system of hiring solely based on document screening for the first time in 20 years while granting college presidents and deans the rights to recommend their students. The students who have been singled out by these processes will be allowed to take the group`s aptitude exam, dubbed the Samsung Aptitude Test (SSAT), without going through resume screening.

S. Korea payrolls rise by 386,000 workers last year
The number of South Koreans on the payrolls climbed 386,000 year-on-year (yoy) last year, and the country’s employment-to-population ratio reached 59.5 percent.

BOK: Gap between growth and biz sentiment likely to widen to 3-year high this year
The South Korean economy might grow at a relatively high rate this year, but even so, with polarization among industries, the spillover from the economic growth to the public is expected to fall well short of the actual economic growth.


One of Seven Wonders of Winter' for a 22-day run

Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival opens Jan. 4

Named one of the 'even Wonders of Winter' by CNN and Lonely Planet, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival is probably the most famous winter event in Korea. During the month of January every year, more than 1,000,000 people swarm Hwacheon in Gangwon province hoping to catch mountain trout bare-hand or ice fishing.
(Mayor Chung Gap-cheol invites the ambassadors and families to attend the Festival on Friday 17, 2014.)

▲'Ice breaker'

▲Left: Amb. Murad Ali of Pakistan 'shakes hands with' former Prime Minister Han Seung-Soo who had visited the Peace Dam and Peace Bell. Right: Visiting foreign VIP guests do the same with one of the Nobel prize winners who had visited the venue.

▲Ambassadors and madams toll the Peace Bell in supplication for the peace of the world.

From left: Ambassadors Andonov of Bulgaria and Ali Nafti of Tunisia. novelist Lee Oisoo, Minister Counsellor Branko Marjanac of Serbia, Chairman Lee KS of The Korea Post, Mrs. Lee KS, Prof. Suh Bo-Hyuk of Seoul National University and Prof. Lee Na-mi of Myongji University in Seoul.

1.4 million persons reportedly visited Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival last year having their fill of the joys of the winter--ice-fishing mountain trouts and treating their eyes to the colorful lanterns of the angels at the Seondeung Candle Light Festival that takes place in the night.

Who said Hwacheon offers only ice-fishing? You can land mountain trouts also from the water standing on the river bank (top left). Koreans, expats, young and old, all enjoy various events of the Festival.

Left: Visitors pass through the colorfully lit ice tunnel. Right: You can also enjoy a 'sky ride' down the river.

The 2014 Mountain Trout Festival and Winter Ice-Snow Fantasia (one of the 'Seven Winter Wonders of the World') start on Jan. 4, 2014 at the Hwacheon County of Gangwon Province some 79.3 miles northeast of Seoul.

So called by CNN and Lonely Planet, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo (Mountain Trout) Ice Festival this year is expected to draw an estimated 1.5 million Korean and internatioal visitors.

Recently designated by the Central Government bas the 'Best Festival of the Republic of Korea,' the Hwacheon Mountain Trout Festival offers visitors a rare chance of catching mountain trouts through ice holes and bare-hand.

This year, the organizers expected that the 'fishermen' from around the world, as well as from within Korea, will be able to catch many more trouts than in any previous year as the river is literally 'full of trouts.'

The organizers also have a special VIP package which offers the important Korean and international visitors with an opportunity to rice an 'Ice Breaker' steel boat from the town of Hwacheon to the famous Peace Dam cutting through the thick-frozen surface of the scenic Paroho Lake.

The VIP guests are also offered an opportunity to toll the Peace Bell of the World, shake hands with the Nobel Laurates (former President Mikhail Gorbachev of Russia, the late former President Kim Dae-jung, Rigoberta Menchu Tum of Guatemala, Jose Ramos Horta of Indonesia,  Muhammad Yunus of Bangladesh, Dalai Lama of Tibet, Elizateth Willians of the United Kingdom, Desmond Mpilo Tutu of Soouth Africa, and the noted figures of many other countries of the world), and a visit to the 'Water Museum of the Republic of Korea managed by K-Water.

They are also invited to toll the Peace Bell of the World which was made with the expended bullets and shells donated by many countries of the world where there have been conflicts as a token of expression of hopes for peace in the world.

Nestled between the town of Hwacheon and the mountains, the Hwacheon River is not only covered by a thick layer of ice, but also by thousands of festival participants.

The Hwacheon Mountain Trout Ice Festival will be taking place in Hwacheon County in Gangwon-do province on Jan. 4-26, 2014. This virtually untouched region is known as the first area in Korea that freezes over in winter, and the river is covered with a thick layer of ice.

Visitors can try out ice fishing, and those who are feeling brave can try to catch mountain trout with their bare hands. Along with fun activities and performances, there is also an exhibition of ice sculptures that usually take 20 weeks to prepare. Visitors can sample raw and grilled mountain trout, both of which are delicious.

A foreign visitor said: “Unlike some Korean festivals I have been to, there is a lot to do at this festival. You can ride an ATV or go kart on the ice, go sledding, ice skating, push a metal cart on the ice, or do some regular reel fishing.”

The events that are most popular are ice fishing and bare-handed fishing. For the ice fishing, you are provided with a hole in the ice and a bag for putting your catch for 10,000 won of which you get 10,000-won Love Gift, money you can spend around the festival grounds on food and souvenirs. “If you aren’t Korean, make sure to head to the foreigner only section. It is not only less crowded, but there is English-speaking help and you are given a free fishing pole,” said the foreign visitor.

When you get on the ice, pick a hole, let out enough line to get your lure to the bottom of the river. Then, quickly flick your wrist upwards and let it float back to the bottom. Some persistence is required, he stressed.

Hwacheon is considered a “clean region” where mountain trouts and otters live. Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is opened in every January under the slogan of “Unfrozen Hearts, Unforgettable Memories” at Hwacheon that has geographical features of the fastest ice freezing in the country because of cold valley wind and clean water.

This is a unique theme experience festival full with good shows and 40 or about various experience programs, such as ice sledding, snow sledding, snow sculpture and ice soccer, Sancheoneo experience programs combined with the image of Hwacheon that has clean natural environment with the first grade clean water in Bukhangang (river) for catching Sancheoneo by hand, Sancheoneo fishing on the ice to catch the fish easily and enjoy the fishing by everybody, breaking the ice with 40cm thickness and above and looking at Sancheoneo in the deep water for your exciting play available for experiencing at Hwacheon only and heart-warm memory in winter.

Winter Sancheoneo! Sancheoneo Fishing! To mention about ice fishing, you need to catch at least one Sancheoneo. It is an elegant fish underneath ice out of comparison to the other fishes due to moderate size and beautiful shape.

Sancheoneo is hard to catch as it is rare but everyone can catch one or two Sancheoneo at Hwacheon with somewhat good luck and knack since 32 or 3 tons of fresh Sancheoneo are being put just under the fishing place every day for visitors for Sancheoneo festival. It is just the reason why a child or young girl without fishing experience is indulged in Sancheoneo ice fishing.

A recent poster introducing some of the events at the Hwacheon Mountain Trout
Festival on January 4-26, 2014. Ambassadors and senior diplomats are invited with
Their spouses and families to attend the Festival on Thursday January 17, 2014.
Individual invitation has already been transmitted to the Ambassadors and the senior
Diplomats.
In the event of our transmission failure, please contact Ms. Kim Jeong-mi

At Tel 2298-1740/2, 010-3388-1682 or edt@koreapost.com. English-speaking callers
Please call David Chung at the same number and email address.
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저작권자 © The Korea Post 무단전재 및 재배포 금지