Machine tool builder, Hwacheon Machinery America Inc. highlights a variety of machinery alongside multiple demonstrations at IMTS 2024 the company embraced the “go big or go home” attitude as it introduces new categories of product offerings at the show dual-entrance booth is designed to draw you in Not to mention the  sheer size and the fact that there are a total of 10 machines on display. Right away you will notice both of Hwacheon’s turning centers (Vertical-TC and Horizontal-TC) and machining centers (Vertical-MC and Horizontal-MC plus 5-axis) for varying industries.  Some of these industries include: mold and die The first of the new categories on display are the company’s horizontal machining centers high-speed machine targeted for an up-and-coming industry: the semiconductor industry is experiencing a growth spurt. The machine is intended to create the components for the chip making industry,” says Nedler.  Hwacheon is demonstrating what the company deems to as “the shower head” technique This refers to the part of the chamber or making the chip components and the machine is designed to be highly-dynamic with the proper spindle technology to be applied for such applications we are strongly featuring the new i2 with Harmony Control for the aerospace market This is a CNC front-end for our higher-end technology machines. The Harmony CNC control (with all its features) is on the i2 machine at our booth,” says Nedler the company offers its “monster” machine the VT-1650M along with a demonstration.  Hwacheon has a category specific to the mold and die industry and features two of these machines at its booth. The first of these is the Sirius-UM+ a high-precision vertical machining center For more than high precision and surface quality type machining, its HIM-G1 is designed for machining the electrodes is on display.  You have hard machining and graphite machining right next to each other” says Nedler “We're trying to show the newest technology from across the board all created with our customers in mind,” says Nedler Machine tool builder, Hwacheon Machinery America, Inc. highlights a variety of machinery alongside multiple demonstrations at IMTS 2024 The above image depicts Hwacheon’s Sirius-UM+ machine which targets the mold and die industry Source (all images) | Hwacheon Machinery America Inc This image depicts Hwacheon’s HIM-G1 machine The page you’re on features premium MMS editorial content Here we are to serve you with news right now quality journalism and subscribe on a monthly basis you can have full digital access to all news Proces du 13-November : ce que ces hommes opaques ont dans la tete Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipisicing elit Blanditiis optio incidunt eum omnis ratione error temporibus iure porro esse Integer consectetur quam eget ipsum dictum accumsan Donec non lectus id risus rutrum ullamcorper sit amet vel nulla Participants at the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival fish for mountain trout through a frozen stream in Hwacheon County Korea.net hosts networking event for Honorary Reporters Accord with Japan to protect both nations' people abroad A bilateral agreement with Japan will bolster cooperation in protecting the nationals of both nations abroad Click here to read more about the latest summit between leaders of both countries Talks with NZ seek to upgrade ties to strategic partnership Korea and New Zealand have agreed to advance talks on elevating the bilateral Partnership for the 21st Century concluded Korea and New Zealand have agreed to advance talks on elevating the bilateral Partnership for the 21st Century concluded in 2006 to a comprehensive strategic partnership Mixed boccia pair to face Hong Kong for Paralympic gold the Jeong-Kang pair will face in the final Hong Kong in mixed pair BC3 boccia 🌕 S-Tier food for Chuseok 🌕 | K-Cuisine Relay | Ep.28 Galbijjim & Samsaeknamul “Reading is so sexy!” — Headlined by The Guardian (UK) | Balance Talk | Ep Korean German architect in Seoul seeks to innovate Hanok Grassroots group seeks to clean up trash from Jeju waters Polish capital hosts Korean cultural event at Breakfast Market Hanbok-clad children play traditional games President Yoon attends opening of Cyber Summit Korea Descendants of Korean War veterans attend event in Incheon Multicultural families attend Chuseok event Address by President Yoon Suk Yeol on the 79th Liberation Day Keynote Address by President Yoon Suk Yeol at the NATO Public Forum K-pop management innovation changes global music industry Korea-French friendship to drive future partnership Denmark's digital strategy to preserve global democracy 10th workshop of European Association for Korean Language Education (EAKLE) PNP launches TOP COP special class to enhance tourist safety K-Culture Extravaganza Lights Up Jozi: Korean Cultural Centre Unveils ‘Travelling Korea’ Korean Restaurant to open soon in Abuja-Envoy Jusung Gabriel Park & Daejeon Philharmonic Orchestra Production Design: Scene Architects Build On-Screen Worlds Organized by the Korea Popular Music and Performance Industry Association (KMA) the "pop concert to visit Duruduru" will be held at 7 p.m on April 30 (Wednesday) at Hwacheon and Hwacheon Culture and Arts Center in Gangwon Province which will be held under the subtitle of "Spring Night Emotional Concert," will feature a variety of stages across genres with emotional messengers "Bicycle Landscape," an emotional vocalist "Seo Young-eun," who causes small miracles in daily life and "Ujji Hippie," who has an original music world The "Duruduru Visiting Popular Music Concert" is a free nationwide tour program designed to deliver healing and enjoyment through music to residents of culturally marginalized areas and it will be held in 13 regions across the country and this Hwacheon performance in Gangwon Province is the 11th of its kind Haeundae-gu (1500 seats) in Busan and Goseong-gun (1000 seats) in Gyeongnam which were held for two days on the 25th and 26th It's a hot song that has shot the local people's drunkenness regardless of generation the Korea Popular Music Performance Industry Association consists of a total of 43 association members who host and organize various popular music performances such as concerts and is an association that cooperates for the future of the popular music performance industry and the rights of workers ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool Visitors participate in bare hand fishing with their feet in water at the 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Visitors pose while holding up sancheoneo at the 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival A visitor holds up a sancheoneo at the ice fishing grounds of the 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Miniature artwork of the Harbin Ice and Snow World is displayed in the Ice Sculpture Plaza of 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Foreign visitors go ice fishing in the foreigner fishing zone at the 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Hundreds of visitors enjoy ice fishing at the 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival All Headlines North Korea Sports Top News Most Viewed Korean Newspaper Headlines Today in Korean History Yonhap News Summary Editorials from Korean Dailies people enjoy ice fishing at Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival one of South Korea's most popular winter events The Hwacheon county said more than 500,000 visitors had enjoyed the festival as of Jan All News National Economy/Finance Biz Culture/K-pop Images Videos Korean Newspaper Headlines Korea in Brief Useful Links Weather Advertise with Yonhap News Agency which opened on the 11th and surpassed 800,000 cumulative visitors in nine days which is visited by more than 1 million tourists every year is the only winter festival held in Korea and is designated by the Ministry of Culture Along with Japan's Sapporo Snowflake Festival it is considered one of the world's four major winter festivals the New York Times selected it as a "must-visit festival in Asia" and established its position as a global festival Perhaps that's why the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is so popular around the world What is the charm of the Sancheoneo Festival which boasts a crowd of clouds even in the cold that seems to freeze your breath The secret to the longevity of the Sancheoneo Festival which has been around for more than 20 years The Sancheoneo Festival is held in Hwacheon Stream Hwacheon-gun is a small local government with a population of only 23,000 and forests were packed in the small village which made it difficult to lay the industrial foundation due to overlapping regulations While looking for ways to develop the region a brilliant idea emerged that the land that had been neglected due to cold weather and various regulations could become a tourism product called "clean nature." If you choose a place that boasts the most beautiful natural scenery in Hwacheon-ri you can't talk about Hwacheon Stream without it The crystal-clear water flowing down from Jakdaesan Mountain Hwacheon-gun organized a festival under the concept of "Sancheoneo," a cold-water fish that only lives in clear water of the first grade the first Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival announced its first start with the slogan "Unfrozen Hearts Unmelted Memories." The festival stimulated the nostalgia of the generation of parents who enjoyed fishing on the frozen lake as a child The unfamiliar experience of drilling a hole on thick ice and fishing for fish was also fun for children the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has grown into the country's largest winter festival with more than 1 million visitors every year since 2006 Hwacheon-gun has actively promoted travelers from Southeast and Southwest Asia Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has been selected as Korea's representative festival for five consecutive years since 2018 has established itself as the home of the winter festival "I got you!" Eyes are drawn to the place where the exclamation bursts turn your head back to the hole in front of you and shake the fishing rod up and down The wide ice sheet is full of people who have gathered to catch Sancheoneos there is a rare scene in which everyone acts the same posture with a fixed head toward the floor and an arm that shakes continuously If you quickly snatch it as if the fishing rod is being pulled down the mountain streamer flaps up and rises over the hole Caught Sancheoneo can be stored in a plastic bag that comes with a fishing rod It stands out that it is made of waterproof material so that the water of Hwacheon Stream can be stored fresh It is also meticulous to attach a slide zipper to the top of the bag to prevent the bag from falling down due to the violent movement of Sancheoneo Caught fish can be taken home by three per person For visitors who want to enjoy Sancheoneo in fresh condition Among various menus such as Sancheoneo California Roll Sancheoneo Charcoal Grilled with the original flavor is representative If you hand over the caught Sancheoneo and 3,000 won It is explained that the method takes into account the position of visitors who have to enjoy the festival by splitting time while saving the feeling of grilling the caught fish over charcoal Hwacheon-gun's meticulous planning ability from the perspective of visitors also contributed to attracting foreign tourists Hwacheon-gun has set up a separate foreign experience zone on one site of the festival so that foreigners can gather and enjoy fishing Shuttle buses are arranged everywhere to reduce travel time and provide interpretation services so that you can enjoy the festival without any inconvenience You can feel the consideration for each country's culture through the Muslim prayer room located on one side of the festival hall passage As if to answer various programs and careful consideration for foreign tourists about 100,000 foreign tourists visit this place every year there are many experiences that can be enjoyed at the festival where you can shoot ice with a stick and enjoy speed In addition to the traditional sled that sits alone you can choose and board various types of sleds to suit your taste starting with family sleds made by Hwacheon-gun County there is a sledding slope that descends on a tube sled along a slope of more than 100m Although the floor is made of ice instead of snow it can be safely boarded using a tube sled dedicated to an ice sheet manufactured by Hwacheon-gun Hwacheon-gun manages ice quality every night by conducting ice freezing work There will be an "Ice Soccer" experience in which players compete to put a hockey ball into the goal post on a flattened ice sheet and a "Figure Skating" experience in skating shoes If you are ready to enjoy an extraordinary speed "Ice Bobsleigh," which runs on a whirlwind slide and "Sky Crossing," which allows you to enjoy the panoramic view over the festival site The flower of the festival is Sancheoneo bare-handed catching but there are a number of volunteers who want to go into the ice water and catch Sancheoneos Onlookers cheer enthusiastically for the group of participants who changed into short sleeves and shorts Sancheoneos caught in ice-like water should be kept in clothing but my heart is warmed by the passionate appearance of the applicants The whole Hwacheon-gun is excited by the Sancheoneo Ice Festival Hwacheon-gun's cry to save the village brought the residents together The strong solidarity between the festival and the village stands out in that most of the festival workers are made up of Hwacheon-gun residents The perception that it is a festival for all of us makes the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival more festive Hwacheon (Gangwon) = Hanna Travel + Reporter Korea’s winter is well underway and there are plenty more activities for you to enjoy and create unforgettable memories with friends and family but you can warm up with some amazing snacks at any of the many winter festivals planned for the season Make plans to embrace the season and head to these fun events where snow and ice are a main attraction You still have plenty of chances to enjoy Korea’s winter in February at these six great festivals offering warm snacks and enjoyable activities CHEONGYANG ALPS VILLAGE FESTIVAL (청양 알프스마을 축제) Social media has hyped up the Cheongyang Alps as a must-go winter destination and the alps-themed festival is a popular event to attend Enter a winter kingdom with beautiful ice and snow sculptures including igloos perfect for some stunning photos the ice village is illuminated with star lights There are also other fun activities to explore You can also savor a variety of winter snacks like roasted sweet potatoes and chestnuts in front of a warm fire but it’s recommended to visit near opening hours Ice and snow displays’ condition can vary depending on weather Tickets: Admission 10,000 won / Sleds 30,000 won / Zipline 10,000 won / Free for those under 36 months - proof is required HWACHEON SANCHEONEO ICE FESTIVAL (얼음나라 화천 산천어축제) The annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is one of Korea’s most famous winter events Each person can take up to three fish to either bring home or cook on site Sancheoneo is a type of salmon found only in clear cold streams and is beloved for its rich nutritional content visitors can enjoy diverse delicious winter foods at the festival The festival attracts over a million visitors each year and offers a variety of winter activities such as ice sledding live performances and other attractions such as ice sculpture displays add to the festive atmosphere Tickets: 15,000 won for adults / 10,000 won for foreigners and elementary school students / Free for children under elementary school age when accompanied by a paying adult Sumi Village is a picturesque spot with sweeping mountains and crystal water reservoirs Every winter season the village hosts its famous Yangpyeeong Ice Fishing Festival Visitors come from all over to enjoy a variety of activities Other activities at the festival include barehand trout catching The festival even offers indoor ice fishing inside warm domes you’ll love the many hot dishes like tteokbokki Sumi Village is also famous for its strawberry picking where you can pick plump and lovely strawberries and take home a pack with a 18,000 won fee You can visit anytime without reservations and if you purchase tickets through the website or Naver Tickets: 19,000 won - 36,000 won (depending on activities) - Discounts are available with prior reservation through phone call or the website This festival takes place at Gwanghyewon Reservoir It is an ideal location for experiencing ice fishing in a fresh and clean reservoir The festival site is conveniently located within an hour drive from Camp Humphreys and Osan Air Base it’s recommended to dress warmly since you may spend a long time on the ice You’ll need a small chair and a container for the smelt You can pay 26,000 won to rent all the items for ice fishing on site or bring your own for 5,000 won fee the staff will fry them for you on the spot including warm fish cake soup and other hot treats are available Visitors can also enjoy ice sledding with plastic and wooden sleds available Date: Late December to mid-February (Closed during Lunar New Year) Tickets: 10,000 won for one person / 50 percent discount for accompanying individuals / Free for children under 5 years old and individuals over 80 years old POCHEON BAEKUN MOUNTAIN STREAM WINTER GENERAL FESTIVAL (포천 백운계곡 동장군 축제) Held in the Baekun mountain stream of Pocheon this festival is a large-scale winter event Families with children can enjoy a variety of exciting activities such as ice fishing for trout and smelt The festival also boasts traditional activities such as making traditional wooden crafts feeding animals and playing traditional folk games there are more amusement rides like mini biking and mini trains and diverse winter snack options Tickets: Admission 1,000 won / Fishing: 15,000 won – 30,000 won / All ice experience ticket (sledding POCHEON SANJEONG LAKE SLEDDING FESTIVAL (포천 산정호수 썰매 축제) you can enjoy thrilling rides on the snow with a variety of cute sleds decorated to look like Santa’s sleigh This festival is less than 20 minutes away from the Pocheon Baekun Mountain Stream Winter General Festival and many visitors make it a day to visit both Tickets: 12,000 won for renting a special sled for 30 minutes THINGS TO KNOW FOR ENJOYING WINTER FESTIVALS It is recommended to attend on colder days since ice and snow can be affected by weather Please note that events may be canceled on rainy days The best way to confirm the festival schedule is to call or check their website before your trip but buying small items such as patio chairs containers and hot packs at affordable stores like Daiso can be a good option it’s recommended to bring towels and extra clothes For a better chance of catching smelt through ice fishing it’s recommended to visit the spot at opening hours I need something warm: Ttatteutan-ge pilyo-haeyo (따뜻한게 필요해요) I love winter snacks!: Gyeoul gansik joahaeyo Read now > Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan a major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu who was sentenced to prison in the first trial for asking the chairman of Seongnam City Council to help with the Daejang-dong development project the Suwon High Court's Criminal Division 2-3 (Park Kwang-seo High Court Judge) made the judgment at the appeal hearing of Kim's bribery case "There is a mistake of misunderstanding and misunderstanding of the law in the part that the original trial found guilty." the former chairman of Seongnam City Council passed the ordinance against the principle of voting in January 2013 when lawmakers opposed to the ordinance left at the request of Kim Man-bae "Please pass the ordinance to establish the Seongnam City Development Corporation." the prosecution believed that Choi was hired as vice chairman of Hwacheon Daeyu in February 2021 and that he was promised to pay 4 billion won in bonuses from the completion of the Daejang-dong urban development project and received 80 million won in the name of salary until November 17 of the same year the first trial convicted him of bribery and sentenced Kim to two and a half years in prison and Choi to four and a half years in prison The court sentenced them to prison at the time "It is difficult to say that there is a concern about destroying evidence," but did not detain them in court a major shareholder of Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management (Hwacheon Daeyu) who was sentenced to prison in the first trial 13 years ago for asking the chairman of Seongnam City Council to help develop Daejang-dong and bribing him The Suwon High Court's Criminal Department 2-3 (High Court Judge Park Kwang-seo Kim Min-ki and Kim Jong-woo) held an appeals court hearing on the 8th to acquit Kim "There is a mistake of misunderstanding and misunderstanding of the law." passed the ordinance against the principle of voting in January 2013 when lawmakers opposed to the ordinance left at Kim's request to "pass the ordinance to establish the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation." Prosecutors said Choi was hired as vice chairman of Hwacheon Daeyu in February 2021 and he was promised to pay 4 billion won in bonuses from the completion of the Daejang-dong urban development project and received 80 million won in salary and other reasons until November 17 of the same year the second trial court overturned the original trial which also sentenced former Chairman Choi to four years and six months in prison the appeals court judged that former chairman Choi's misconduct in his duties was not found guilty "The bribery of defendant Kim Man-bae should be premised on Choi Yoon-gil's cheating in the job," adding the defendant's crime cannot be considered to be established." the first trial court convicted Kim of bribery and sentenced Kim to two and a half years in prison and Choi to four and a half years in prison "It is difficult to say that there is a concern about destroying evidence." National Off-duty firefighter puts out flames at barn with no gear An off-duty firefighter stopped what could have become a sizeable forest fire by extinguishing a barn fire that he encountered on his way home Han Jeong-hyeon of the Hwacheon Fire Station was driving home at around 6:30 p.m on Friday when he saw smoke rising near a mountain in Sinbuk-eup of Chuncheon The 42-year-old firefighter headed toward the site where he found an senior man trying to extinguish a fire in his barn The elder man was struggling with the fire as the garden hose he was using had low water pressure Han instructed him to call the 119 fire emergency service while he attempted to put out the fire himself with two extinguishers he carries in his trunk Han managed to extinguish the fire within nine minutes with some damages to the barn meaning the flames could have spread to ignite a forest fire "I acted instinctively when I saw the smoke I just did what I should have done as a fireman," Han said Lee Jae-myung leads in hypothetical three-way race with Han Duck-soo the presidential candidate of South Korea’s main liberal Democratic Party holds a lead in a potential three-way race for the country’s next election 15% of Korean wage workers have flexible work schedules: data Koryo saram are 'living bridges' of Kazakh-Korean ties 'Smile at me': Cancer-fighting senior influencer inspires with strength Respect wanes: Teaching no longer highly coveted job in S As unused homes increase in rural South Korea Supreme Court’s verdict sours Lee Jae-myung’s presidential bid Korean mothers are opting for C-sections at record rates South Koreans get creative with Parents’ Day gifts According to Gangwon-do Province and Hwacheon-gun County on the 13th the Gwangdeok Tunnel construction project passed a feasibility review at the second financial project evaluation committee in 2025 organized by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance This is a project to build a 4.8km tunnel on Gwangdeok Pass Gwangdeok Pass has so many steep slopes and sharp curves that it has to drive less than 40km/h It is urgent to secure safety as the number of accidents has increased eight times and the number of injuries has increased 13 times compared to the average of provincial governments nationwide traffic safety and accessibility will be dramatically improved with the speed of operation rising to more than 60km and the travel time drastically reduced from the current 26 minutes to 5 minutes Of the total project cost of 139.1 billion won with Gangwon Province and Gyeonggi Province paying half of the rest "We plan to start designing within the year and drill the tunnel in earnest from next year." "As we passed the preliminary feasibility study we hope that the project will begin as soon as possible with rapid budget allocation and execution," said Choi Moon-soon The "2025 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival," a representative winter festival in Korea opened successfully on the morning of the 11th in Hwacheon-eup which has become a global winter festival with more than 1 million visitors every year 109,000 tourists visited the festival on the first day of the festival when the morning minimum temperature in Hwacheon fell to minus 16.5 degrees Celsius the main program of the Sancheoneo Festival was crowded all morning since its opening at 8:30 a.m Cheers could be heard throughout the fishing area "I left Seoul early in the morning for my child who celebrated his birthday and came to the festival," adding I will enjoy the Sancheoneo Festival and the night sky street performance." many visitors flocked to the bare-handed experience center Experiencing short-sleeved shirts and shorts visitors enjoyed a unique experience by entering the ice water and catching the swimming Sancheoneo with their bare hands The bare-handed experience took place in the afternoon when the daytime high was lifted to minus 2 degrees Celsius The festival venue and nearby shopping mall enjoyed a special experience as many tourists flocked to the festival venue Shin Na-young and Lee Soo-bin of Hwacheon KSPO in the Women's Soccer WK League will advance to the overseas league The Seoul Olympic Memorial National Sports Promotion Foundation (Sports Corporation) announced on the 22nd that center back Shin Na-young and midfielder Lee Soo-bin Shin signed a two-year contract with Lexington SC of the USL Super League and is preparing to open the season next month Shin Na-young is the third Korean player to advance to the U.S and will form a "two-tier league" with the existing first division which is held as a spring and autumn festival the USL Super League operates as a spring and autumn system like the European league The first season opens on August 25 and ends in May next year Shinna Young is a defender who played for the 2017 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-17 Championship and the 2019 Summer Universiade in Naples "Shin Na-young has a good positioning ability to cut off the development during the opponent's build-up and is a player who shows good play in the defensive process," adding "I want to play my part and show my strengths as much as the team liked me," adding "I want to show a lot of fear of challenge and that the walls of the world are not high." I will prove the competitiveness of the WK League players," he said Lee Soo-bin has been a key midfielder for the team since he began his career as an unemployed team at the "Hwacheon KSPO" in 2014 and recently signed a two-year contract with "Ainak Kobe" of Japan's "WE League." "Ainak Kobe" is a team with a number of domestic players and is a strong team that ranked second in the league last season An official from the Korea Sports Corporation said "I would like to express my gratitude to the athletes who have sweated for the Hwacheon KSPO I will support the players who start difficult challenges to repay their fans with good performance on the overseas stage," he said The Korea Sports Corporation fully supported the players' overseas advancement for the development of Korean women's soccer at a time when competition for the WK League lead is fierce this year International visitors to the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival pose with a trout during the festival in Hwacheon It is fascinating to observe a species that is conscious of its impending extinction but also trying to prevent it Are human beings the only ones capable of self-consciousness hubris and egomania found in other creatures of kingdom Animalia That is a delightful topic for a long-winded Speaking of impending extinction: Mercator readers should know that South Korea has the lowest fertility on the planet at 0.77 barely a third of the replacement level of 2.1 Preliminary data just released says the country’s fertility rate for second quarter 2023 was 0.70 a shocking 9 percent below that of last year South Korea is the only OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) country with a fertility rate below 1.0 and the population has been declining for several years the government of South Korea is in a tizz to reverse or at least stop the decline these East Asian countries want to boost the numbers of their own people rather than open the floodgates to mass immigration This way the challenges of falling fertility are not obscured by balkanizing the country with an unending stream of cheap labor migration This favoritism for the home team helps preserve social cohesion and community spirit there are consequential upsides to a homogenous society it is known far and wide as a demographic basket case Closing schools and medical clinics has annihilated any doubt that the road to extinction will be a rough ride considering the inevitable economic implosion from a sustained birth dearth They may also have stumbled onto a solution but there is an interesting case of demographic pushback It is catching the attention of forward-looking Koreans who want to see their nation survive Recently in this space we discussed Nagi Japan’s ‘miracle town’ and their success at bucking the trend of declining fertility Do we have the makings of a ‘miracle county’ in South Korea Hwacheon County has figured out that local government and local people have the best solution to what ails them and Korea’s Hwacheon County are successfully implementing a future-oriented family-friendly agenda Hwacheon County is nestled in the north of South Korea’s Gangwon Province up there by the infamous DMZ separating North and South Korea with a beautiful landscape that belies the tense ongoing military standoff immediately to its north but government officials are intensely concerned about falling fertility They have taken a “think globally act locally” approach After seeing the limited success of baby bonuses and lump sum payments enacted in other countries Hwacheon County’s Mayor Choi Moon-soon said: “We want to provide equal opportunities for people regardless of their economic background from the time child is in womb until the child graduates college.” Now that’s thinking big The Korea Institute of Local Finance recently issued a report indicating that improving childcare infrastructure is more fertility friendly than cash payments to families Their findings are that increased services and facilities reduce out-of-pocket childcare expenses which has a more positive impact on overall family finances than direct cash payments That was the thinking of Hwacheon County planners the prosperous Jung District of Seoul far outspent any other jurisdiction in South Korea investing 2.1 million won per child (US$1,580) Which jurisdiction spent the second highest amount per child Not bad for a rural county of fewer than 25,000 folks Doesn’t matter if college is outside the country the student’s parents must have been resident in Hwacheon for three years In multiple surveys young South Koreans cite the high costs of education as a major reason for not having children Education is effectively a cultural priority and not being able to finance a child’s education is a crushing blow This is a clinic where staff care for newborns while the new mother can rest and recuperate During that period there is professional counseling on the care Postpartum rest as public policy is something badly needed in the US It gives new mothers a much-needed break and helps them transition to motherhood Such clinical care is otherwise unaffordable Sure beats getting kicked out of your room whenever penny-pinching “health insurance” conglomerates say it’s time to hit the road Another family-friendly measure: elementary school students can hail a school bus using a smartphone app Parents receive a text message when the child boards the bus and then tracks its location While this child-tracking app may seem like big brother government to some it has been welcomed by parents as an enhanced security measure for watching over their children Hwacheon’s program includes measures to help with work-life balance and other subsidized childcare services a non-woke version of “it takes a village.” Korea University sociology professor Shin Eun-kyong attributes Hwacheon County’s success to their comprehensive approach In 2021 the county’s fertility rate was 1.2 Hwacheon County’s fertility is way above the national average and headed in the opposite direction from South Korea’s downward trend While a well below replacement level fertility rate is hardly anything to write home about but a thousand-mile journey begins with the first step Hwacheon County may be a small jurisdiction but it punches way above its weight in fighting for families Can larger jurisdictions afford to have such expensive family-friendly measures The better question is: can they afford not to he is a dedicated student of history and genealogy Louis lives with his family in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia Michael Cook Carolyn Moynihan Kurt Mahlburg Yoon Ga-yi drew attention by revealing her "23-year-old difference" mother In MBC's "I Live Alone," which aired on the 11th Yoon Ga-yi's leisurely time with her family in Hwacheon It was none other than his mother who welcomed Yoon Gai at the bus terminal Yoon Gai greeted his mother at the terminal with a big smile and the similar laughter of the two made the viewers smile "My mother is like a friend who consults whenever she has concerns." The appearance of the two people with laughter blooming around their mouths created a friendly atmosphere like sisters Yoon Gai's mother surprised viewers when it was revealed that she was the same age as Jeon Hyun-moo in 1977 "Jeon Hyun-moo said he was the same age as her 'Hyun-moo~' and I can call her like a friend at any time." As a result the unexpected relationship between Yoon Gai's mother and Jeon Hyun-moo became a hot topic Yoon Gai then headed to Sodo Village in Hwacheon This is a place of memories that Yoon Ga-yi visited every vacation and is famous for its dense birch forest and various workshops made by artists "This is a place that has always been like a shelter for me," Yoon Gai said the Yungai family enjoyed a picnic dinner in the middle of the birch forest Along with Yoon Gai's mother's special boiled pork stir-fried webfoot octopus carefully prepared by siblings and health recipes with honey vinegar made by herself appeared leading to friendly conversations between families "It's a perfect picnic," conveyed warmth to viewers Yoon Gai had time to paint in a studio located on one side of Sodo Village with his mother who is working full-time in acting but still retains her passion for art "Who was the most amazing celebrity you've ever seen in the broadcasting station?" In response "I was surprised because I was so tall," referring to Gian84 Yoon Gai's mother responded to her daughter's unexpected answer with a smile "It's really unexpected," leading to a natural conversation between the mother and daughter Yoon Gai's visit to Hwacheon was more than just a family trip he has been drawing keen attention from online communities and SNS which conveyed the mother and daughter's deep bond and small happiness in Hwacheon an asset management company at the center of the Daejang-dong corruption scandal heads to the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho District With the most powerful solar storm in about 21 years colorful aurora has been observed around the world and aurora has also been detected in Korea the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute released a photo of Park Jung-ha and Shim Hyung-seop a member of Yongin Children's Astronomical Observatory You can clearly see the purple auro photographed Aurora is light produced by reacting with the Earth's atmosphere as high-energy particles from an explosion on the surface of the sun are drawn down to the poles by the Earth's magnetic field sometimes seen at the bottom of the aurora is the light emitted by nitrogen molecules The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute captured the aurora with the Space Object Electromagnetic Optical Monitoring System (OWL-Net) OWL-Net is a surveillance telescope network established by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute and is established in five countries around the world Aurora was also detected in OWL-Net Unit 1 located in Mongolia and OWL-Net Unit 5 located in Bohyeonsan Observatory in Korea The Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute said "We detected a red aurora from the northern high latitude direction with a solar camera for observing atmospheric light from the 'TIMOS' installed at the Hyonsan Observatory." Aurora occurs in a ring shape around the north and south poles of the Earth's magnetic field indicated by the compass and is called the "aurora ellipsoid." The location of this aurora ellipsoid expands in the north-south direction when solar activity is active and geomagnetic storms are strengthened One of the reasons why aurora is observed a lot is solar activity The sun's activity repeats its strength and weakness every 11 years on average and solar activity is expected to peak in 2025 (maximum) Forecasts related to solar activity can be found on the Space Radio Center website (http://spaceweather.kasa.go.kr ) South Korea — South Korea is calling on the North to provide notice before discharging its dam water to prepare for possible flooding near the border The South’s Ministry of Unification urges “the North to take sincere measures to prevent damage,” the agency announced in a news release Friday It also pointed out that it is “not technically difficult” for Pyongyang to contact Seoul if it decides to release any water The ministry said it was making its position known through the news release due to “poor communication” with Pyongyang North Korea has been unresponsive in its communication channels with the South since April The North last released water without warning in August from the Hwanggang Dam on the Imjin River No damage was reported by the South Korean government Six South Koreans were killed when water was released from the dam in 2019 the North signed an agreement with the South about notifying Seoul before discharging any water Pyongyang has notified Seoul about water releases three times since the agreement South Korea expects to see the year’s heaviest rainfall this summer an estimate of 12 inches this month and next according to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s website a landslide in Yeongju triggered by heavy rainfall caused a house to collapse Record rainfall in the South last year killed at least 28 people and caused nearly $440 million in property damage according to data provided Monday by the Ministry of Interior and Safety South Korea’s notice came one day before the North warned its people to prepare for “extreme weather conditions” and called for the government to maintain “high vigilance" in areas prone to flooding and typhoons The State Committee for Emergency and Disaster Management is preparing for “unexpected” effects of the heavy rain season this summer and fall according to the state-run Pyongyang Times One of these measures is to ensure the committee’s emergency notification systems are working to warn citizens about flash floods and give first responders ample time to react to emergencies “The most important in minimizing the damage from natural disasters caused by extreme weather is to prevent the loss of lives,” committee deputy director Pak Yong Sik said in the report “We give top priority to the safety-first principle to prevent the loss of lives and ensure the personal safety of the people.” The 2023 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival kicked off on Jan Visitors are shown enjoying ice fishing for sancheoneo a type of trout that only lives in clean fresh waters 7 (Yonhap) -- A world-renowned annual ice fishing festival kicked off in the Gangwon Province county of Hwacheon on Saturday The 2023 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will continue for 23 days through Jan 29 in the remote mountain town close to the inter-Korean border and about 90 kilometers northeast of Seoul It is the first event to be held normally after three years The 2020 festival did not take place due to unseasonably warm weather while the 2021 and 2022 editions were canceled due to the pandemic participants try to catch "sancheoneo," a species of mountain trout through holes cut in the surface of a vast frozen river as well as take part in barehanded fishing People fish for trout at a small pool during the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon Organizers said they plan to release 171 tons of sancheoneo into the frozen river covering 61,054 square meters during this year's festival Sancheoneo is a species of trout known to live only in very clean fresh water The tourists will also be given chances to taste grilled sancheoneo at a nearby cooking zone The organizers will also operate foreigner-only fishing they will make all-out efforts to ensure the safety of Korean and foreign visitors against COVID-19 Divers will also check the condition of the frozen river every day to determine the appropriate number of festival participants the event was chosen as the nation's best festival by the culture ministry in 2010 and drew more than 1 million visitors annually from 2006 to 2019 Visitors pack the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon Tourists stand on ice and snatch fish with bare hands at Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has attracted 130,000 local and foreign tourists to fish on top of the ice in Hwacheon county and participants are allowed to take up to three fish they caught back home Tourists stand in a lake and snatch fish with bare hands at Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon More than 300,000 locals and tourists braved sub-zero temperatures over the weekend and flocked to a frozen river in Gangwon Province in South Korea to catch mountain trout with their bare hands Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, one of Korea's most popular —and wackiest—winter festivals, is held every year for three weeks at Hwacheon, where the river's ice reaches a solid 16 inches thick by January—ideal conditions for trout grabbing is known as the first in Korea to freeze over in winter (MORE: World's 10 Coolest Ice and Igloo Hotels) The more adventurous fishing enthusiasts participated in the 'Barehanded Sancheoneo Fishing' competition in shorts and t-shirts (provided at the event) and jumped into an pond specially cut into the ice to catch as many sancheoneo (a kind of mountain trout) as they can in five minutes Some of them posed victoriously with their catch in their mouths Others made their way to the 492ft-wide frozen river and bobbed their fishing lines (plastic rods and bait can be purchased at the site) in and out of some 14,000 holes drilled into the ice and waited patiently on stools and mats.  Many festival-goers can be seen jumping with joy when they make a catch (MORE: 20 Amazing Hot Springs to Visit) Barbecues line the banks of the river and visitors can purchase charcoal and tools to grill the fish that they have just caught The sancheoneo can also be sliced and filleted for visitors at the Raw Fish Center Those who weren't lucky with the ice fishing can visit restaurants and food stalls that serve various mountait trout dishes The festival features many other winter activities enjoy ice sculptures and build snowmen in the 'snowman zone.' (For More Travel, Follow us on Facebook) MORE ON WEATHER.COM: 50 Incredible Winter Travel Destinations We recognize our responsibility to use data and technology for good We may use or share your data with our data vendors The Weather Channel is the world's most accurate forecaster according to ForecastWatch, Global and Regional Weather Forecast Accuracy Overview More than 300,000 locals and tourists braved sub-zero temperatures over the weekend and flocked to a frozen river in Gangwon Province in South Korea to catch mountain trout with their bare hands.  Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, one of Korea's most popular \u2014and wackiest\u2014winter festivals, is held every year for three weeks at Hwacheon, where the river's ice reaches a solid 16 inches thick by January\u2014ideal conditions for trout grabbing is known as the first in Korea to freeze over in winter.  (MORE: World's 10 Coolest Ice and Igloo Hotels) The more adventurous fishing enthusiasts participated in the 'Barehanded Sancheoneo Fishing' competition in shorts and t-shirts (provided at the event) and jumped into an pond specially cut into the ice to catch as many sancheoneo (a kind of mountain trout) as they can in five minutes Others made their way to the 492ft-wide frozen river and bobbed their fishing lines (plastic rods and bait can be purchased at the site) in and out of some 14,000 holes drilled into the ice and waited patiently on stools and mats.  Many festival-goers can be seen jumping with joy when they make a catch (MORE: 20 Amazing Hot Springs to Visit) Barbecues line the banks of the river and visitors can purchase charcoal and tools to grill the fish that they have just caught The sancheoneo can also be sliced and filleted for visitors at the Raw Fish Center Those who weren't lucky with the ice fishing can visit restaurants and food stalls that serve various mountait trout dishes enjoy ice sculptures and build snowmen in the 'snowman zone.' (For More Travel, Follow us on Facebook) Visitors go ice fishing on a frozen river on the eighth day of the annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon in Gangwon Province The cumulative number of visitors surpassed 500,000 as of this day Tourists view ice statues made by Harbin ice sculptors during Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Gangwon Province The capital of China's northernmost province of Heilongjiang Harbin is renowned as the "crown jewel of ice and snow" in the country This year ice sculptors from Harbin have been invited to create ice sculptures for the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival one of the most popular South Korean winter festivals Tourists pose for pictures in front of the Gwanghwamun statues made by Harbin ice sculptors during Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Gangwon Province A tourist enjoy an ice slide made by Harbin ice sculptors during Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Gangwon Province Workers put the final touches on snow sculptures in Hwacheon two days ahead of the opening of the 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival which features activities such as fishing for "sancheoneo" and other winter outdoor events Sancheoneo is a type of trout that lives only in clean fresh water 6 (Yonhap) -- An annual ice fishing festival began its nearly monthlong run in the northeastern county of Hwacheon on Saturday drawing more than 100,000 visitors from here and around the world as people came to enjoy the fun winter fest The 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival kicked off in the remote mountain town in Gangwon Province located just 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border and about 90 km northeast of Seoul The organizers said they received some 101,000 visitors on the first day of the 23-day event set to run through Jan Visitors go ice fishing on a frozen river on the first day of the annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon in Gangwon Province the frozen Hwacheon stream was already crowded with hundreds of visitors a species of trout known to live only in very clean fresh water The visitors carefully placed the rod in the ice hole with some of them soon erupting in cheers as they pulled the rod that caught the trout out as it's not so cold for winter," said Kim Min-seok "It is a thrill to catch a sancheoneo the size of my arm." Outdoor grilling areas were set up nearby for tourists to barbecue the fish and some other diners offered to cut and plate for customers if they brought their own trout Visitors take part in ice fishing at the annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon in Gangwon Province The foreigners-only fishing site added to the festive mood with many of them taking part in an activity where they have to go into the cold water to catch fish with their bare hands Family visitors went for sledding or other winter rides while hundreds of others took to browsing ice sculptures inside an exhibition hall The Hwacheon festival has attracted more than 1 million visitors almost every year since its launch in 2003 making headlines worldwide with thousands of tourists trying to catch the trout through holes cut into the surface of a vast frozen river and taking part in bare-hand fishing into a global wintertime festival city of South Korea Visitors take a look at ice sculptures at the annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon in Gangwon Province a leading global news organization introduced the festival as one of the world's seven wonders of winter It had to close in 2021 and 2022 over the COVID-19 pandemic but it managed to restore its name by registering over 1.3 million visitors at last year's event Organizers said they plan to release 160 tons of sancheoneo into the frozen river covering 61,654 square meters during this year's festival They will also operate foreigner-only fishing and resting areas expecting about 100,000 foreign tourists this year As a fierce battlefield during the 1950-53 Korean War Hwacheon is also considered a symbol of national security and peace County officials say the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has now grown into a strong backbone of the county's economy generating direct economic effects of over 100 billion won (US$76.5 million) annually hotels and makers of various facilities and souvenirs are also its beneficiaries Visitors enjoy vessel lights decorated along a street in Hwacheon in Gangwon Province in celebration of the opening of the annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker An "indoor square of ice sculptures" opens on Dec about a week ahead of the opening of the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival one of the most popular winter festivals in South Korea in this photo provided by Hwacheon County Office 4 (Yonhap) -- A world-renowned annual ice fishing festival is to kick off in Hwacheon a remote mountain town in the northeastern province of Gangwon The 2024 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival will continue for 23 days through Jan This file photo provided by the Hwacheon County Office shows the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival underway in Hwacheon This year's festival is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors turning Hwacheon with a population of just 24,000 into a global wintertime festival city the event was chosen as the nation's best festival by the culture ministry in 2010 and had drawn more than 1 million visitors for 13 straight years from 2006 to 2019 The inaugural 2003 event drew a crowd of 220,000 visitors The annual winter festival has previously made headlines worldwide with thousands of tourists trying to catch sancheoneo through holes cut into the surface of a vast frozen river and taking part in bare-hand fishing This file photo provided by the Hwacheon County Office shows tourists enjoying bare-hand fishing in Hwacheon held after a two-year COVID-19-related pause Visitors flock to the 2023 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon the first time the event has resumed in three years The festival kicked off Saturday and will run through Jan The 2020 festival did not take place due to a warm winter and the 2021 and 2022 editions were canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic Snow falls on visitors ice fishing on a frozen river during the ongoing annual Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival in Hwacheon County in Gangwon on Sunday usually attracts more than one million people annually and the county said that the cumulative visitors this year has surpassed 500,000 so far The 23-day event is set to run through Jan 28 and involves activities including bare-hand fishing Sancheoneo is a Korean freshwater mountain trout