South Korea is seeing large winter crowds gather in the county of Hwacheon for the annual Sancheoneo Festival, known for its freezing water challenges. Tens of thousands of visitors travel to the northeast to try catching live mountain trout by hand.
Wearing shorts and gloves, participants step into icy pools and clutch the slippery fish to their chests once caught. Others choose a calmer option, lowering fishing lines through holes cut into the ice and waiting for a bite.
Nearby grills fill the air with the smell of trout cooked on the spot, following the rule that you eat what you catch.
Organisers say around 65,000 people attended the opening day. The festival runs from January 10 to February 1 and has become a key winter event for South Korea.
