South Korea’s leading winter event, the “2019 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival,” kicked off its 23-day run in the remote mountainous county of Hwacheon on Saturday. Gotcha! A man holds a trout with his mouth after catching it with his bare hands. /VCG Photo

The festival, which features a variety of family-friendly events including ice fishing, tent fishing, and sledding, is globally known for the most popular program – bare hand fishing. Tourists warm themselves up before catching trouts with their bare hands. /VCG Photo

Organizers drill fishing holes in the Hwacheon Stream and release trout into the river during the festival period, where tourists get their line through several inches of thick ice to pursue “sancheoneo” – a species of trout known to live only in very clean fresh water. /VCG Photo

The freshly caught fish can be served fresh on the spot, grilled or raw. Dozens of outdoor activities and a number of cultural events are also arranged for visitors who do not fish. /VCG Photo

Launched in 2003, the event was chosen as the country’s best festival by the culture ministry in 2010 and has also been drawing greater attention from foreigners in recent years. /VCG Photo