Zephyrous Travels: Winter Activities in South Korea

In the winter months of December to February, the Koreans did not allow the cold winter to prevent them from having fun. Other than hitting the ski slopes 1 of the 16 ski resorts in South Korea, there are several festivals and "must-do" activities that visitors can do while travelling in South Korea.

Gyeongbukgung Palace in Winter

PyeongChang Winter Olympics

The biggest event in South Korea for winter in 2018 is the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, to be held from 9 to 25 Feb 18. The hype of the Winter Olympics started since early 2017 as the country gets ready to welcome athletes from over 100 countries competing in over 100 events over 15 disciplines during the winter version of the games. The Winter Olympics will be held in PyeongChang, a county in the province of Gangwon, where the majority of the ski resorts in South Korea are situated. Several of the ski resorts are designated as the venue for the Olympics Games, where one will be able to experience the adrenaline and the excitement of the games. Not in South Korea in February? One can still catch the Paralympic Games from 9 to 18 Mar 18, where more than 3000 Paralympians will be competing for the gold medals in 80 events across 6 disciplines.

PyeongChang Winter Olympics is the biggest event in South Korea in 2018

Skiing is one of the events in PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Snowboarding is one of the events in PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Me and my nephew with the mascots of PyeongChang Winter Olympics Games

One of the events during the Olympic Games that should not be missed in the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony marks the start of the Winter Olympics Game to be held in PyeongChang Olympic Stadium, where one is expected to be treated with stunning visual effects. Expect traditional Korean cultural performances as well as neo-cultural performances such as K-pop performances during the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony will be held on 9 Feb 18. Travelers to South Korea in March 2018 still can catch the Opening ceremony for the Paralympic Games on 9 Mar 18. Tickets for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and Paralympics can be purchased online here.

PyeongChang Winter Olympics Show

The opening ceremony will include traditional Korean Cultural performance

Ice Fishing

The South Koreans flock to frozen rivers when winter months hit the country. One would see a countless number of tents, stools and people gathering on top of these frozen rivers. On closer inspection, holes are being drilled on the surface of these frozen rivers, a line or sometimes a rod is being lowered into the hole. This is ice fishing. Ice fishing is a favourite winter-only activity that is enjoyed by the Koreans and tourists alike. One would rent a spot or pay more for a tent to shield from the chilly cold wind in winter and try their luck on fishing on these frozen rivers. On some rivers, one can fish a trout. These freshly caught fishes can then brought to a nearby restaurant for the chef to whip up a fresh fish meal. Do note that live baits are prohibited to prevent water pollution.

Ice fishing is a favourite winter-only activity in Korea, where families and friends gather to try their luck in catching a fish on the frozen river

Ice fishing can be done in Hwacheon County in Gangwon-do. In fact, since 2003, Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has been organised annually where hordes of locals and foreigners flocked to the county. One of the highlights of this festival is Ice fishing, on top of other activities such as sledding, ice skating. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will be held from 6 to 28 Jan 18. More information on the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival can be found here. Also located in Gangwon-do, PyeongChang County is another venue where one can experience ice fishing. The PyeongChang Trout Festival takes place from 22 Dec 17 to 25 Feb 18, where visitors can try their hand at catching the freshest trout from the Odaecheon Stream. Similar to the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, there are a variety of winter-only activities that one can expect on top of the signature trout fishing. More information on the PyeongChang Trout Festival can be found here.

Ice fishing at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival

Ice fishing at the PyeongChang Trout Festival

Visiting Winter Festivals

During winter, a series of winter festivals have been lined up in South Korea. This is a time where the Koreans wind down and have fun despite the low temperature that comes with the season. Most of these festivals are themed around snow and ice. On top of the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Fishing Festival and PyeongChang Trout Festival, here are some other festivals that one can part take while visiting South Korea during winter months.

Taebaeksan Snow Festival

One of the snow festivals that should not be missed, especially for those who are travelling to South Korea for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, is the Taebaeksan Snow Festival. Taebaeksan Snow Festival The festival offers visits a variety of activities and events that will excite and amuse visitors to the festival. Various performances are lined up during Taebaeksan Snow Festival to keep visitors entertained. There will be a lot Instagram, Facebook postings opportunities for visitors available during the festival with the large-scale snow sculptures. Visitors can even have fun snow sledding with the stunning Mt Taebaeksan as the backdrop. Taebaeksan Snow Festival takes place from 19 Jan to 11 Feb 18, at Taebaeksan National Park in Gangwon-do.

There are a lot of photo opportunities with the snow sculptures in Taebaeksan Snow Festival

Snow sculptures is a major highlight in Taebaeksan Snow Festival

Snow sculptures at Taebaeksan Snow Festival at night

Visitors to Taebaeksan Snow Festival can have fun sliding down the ice slides

Lighting Festival at The Garden of Morning Calm

The Garden of Morning Calm is the largest private garden in South Korea, covering a massive area of 30,000㎡. The all-year garden, located in Gyeonggi-do, is an excellent spot for families and photographers to visit. The garden is designed with a balance of Korean's concept of natural curves with asymmetry and plants with synthetic material. The garden houses some 5,000 species of plants in 20 themed sections. During winter, the Garden of the Morning Calm will be dressed with colourful lights, giving the garden a different personality compared to the other seasons. At nightfall, the white snow-covered garden will give way to a plethora of colours, which adds a festive glow during winter. The Light Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm is the largest festival of lights in South Korea with the garden illuminated by over 30,000 lights. The Lighting Festival at the Garden of Morning Calm takes place from 8 Dec 17 to 25 Mar 18.