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The 2025 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, one of South Korea's most popular winter events, has welcomed over 1 million visitors, Azernews reports citing The Korea Herald.

The festival, which began on Jan. 11, takes place in Hwacheon, a remote mountain town in Gangwon Province, located 25 kilometers south of the inter-Korean border and about 90 km northeast of Seoul. The event is scheduled to run through Feb. 2.

Between its opening day and Friday afternoon, approximately 982,155 people visited the festival, according to Hwacheon county. An estimated additional 40,000 attendees are expected to join throughout the day.

Since its debut in 2003, the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival has consistently attracted more than 1 million visitors almost every year, earning global recognition.

This year's festival reached the 1 million milestone a day earlier than in 2024.

The festival has transformed Hwacheon, a town with a population of just 23,000, into a renowned winter destination in South Korea.

Despite challenges like unusually warm winters, heavy rain in 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused cancellations in 2021 and 2022, the festival has maintained its reputation as a "million festival" for 16 years.

One key factor in the festival's success is its innovative approach and quick adaptation to change.

For instance, in 2016, it became the first winter festival in South Korea to introduce night fishing, an unconventional idea that gained widespread attention.

In addition to its main program -- ice fishing for sancheoneo, a species of mountain trout -- the festival attracts visitors with a variety of events and activities.

Every Saturday, the festival features a lantern street parade reminiscent of the lively street performances at Canada's Quebec Winter Carnival.

Meanwhile, the Santa Post Office, a popular attraction at the event, evokes the charm of Santa Claus' village in Rovaniemi, Finland. (Yonhap)