| Dates | 9–25 Jan 2026 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 09:00–17:30 (KTO lists 09:00–18:00); ice and pontoon fishing in two sessions, 09:00–13:00 and 13:30–17:30, with tickets sold 08:30–12:00 and 11:30–16:00 |
| Venue | Hongcheon riverside festival grounds, Hongcheon-eup강원특별자치도 홍천군 홍천읍 신장대리 85 (홍천강변 일원) |
| Admission | Ice or pontoon fishing, general: ₩15,000 · Ice or pontoon fishing, groups of 30+ and concession holders: ₩10,000 |
| Previous edition | 2025: 18 Jan – 1 Feb 2025 |
| Next edition | 2027: January 2027, most likely opening on a Friday or Saturday between 5 and 18 January and running 12–17 days, as in 2023–2026 (13–24 Jan 2023, 5–21 Jan 2024, 18 Jan–1 Feb 2025, 9–25 Jan 2026). No 2027 dates had been announced as of 19 October 2026; the 2023 and 2024 dates were public by 9 and 15 December of the year before. The ice zone opens only when the ice reaches 20 cm. |
Program
- 9 Janopening ceremony of the 14th festival, theme 'Catch the super ginseng trout!'
- 13–24 JanKorail's 'Hongcheon city tour by Mugunghwa train' package, 8 runs: train from Cheongnyangni to Seowonju, then a tour bus to the festival and town sights (40 seats per run)
- Dailyice fishing in three zones, a pontoon pier with about 700 places and a family indoor pond; bare-hand catching 4 times on weekdays and 5 at weekends
- Dailynew ice-sled area, snow sledding, blocks, drones and VR for children; stage performances, a singing contest and the Kkongkkong DJ radio booth
- Big-trout challenge (fish of 1 kg or more weighed at the tourist information office) and a consolation prize for anglers who catch nothing
- 25 Jan 17:10lucky draw for a compact car sponsored by Sono International; closing day
Prices
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ice or pontoon fishing, general | ₩15,000 | Down from ₩20,000 in 2025; ₩5,000 returned as a Hongcheon Sarang gift voucher or a local-produce voucher |
| Ice or pontoon fishing, groups of 30+ and concession holders | ₩10,000 | Blog-reported (Telltrip); the concession categories were not listed |
| Ice or pontoon fishing, preschool children | Free | Preschool children may not take fish home |
| Bare-hand trout catching | ₩20,000 | About one hour; chest waders and towels lent free; same ₩5,000 voucher |
| Family indoor fishing pond | ₩20,000 | Same ₩5,000 voucher |
| Fishing-rod rental | Free | Free (Telltrip) |
| Ice-sled run and children's corners (blocks, drones, VR) | Free | Free (Telltrip) |
| Parking | Free | Sinjang-daeri off-street car park and the Hongcheon Traditional Market public car park |
Notes on the 2026 edition
17 days. About 270,000 visitors according to the Hongcheon Culture Foundation, with record food and local-product sales; about 35 tons of ginseng trout were planned for release.
About the festival
The Hongcheon River Kkongkkong Festival (홍천강 꽁꽁축제) is a January ice-fishing festival on the frozen Hongcheon River in Hongcheon-eup, Gangwon, where visitors fish for trout raised on feed mixed with six-year-old ginseng; Hongcheon is about 1 h 07 m by intercity bus from Dong Seoul Terminal. The 14th edition ran 9–25 January 2026; 2027 dates have not been announced, and the festival usually opens on a Friday or Saturday between 5 and 18 January. Fishing and the other main activities are ticketed, usually about ₩15,000–20,000 each, with part of each ticket returned as a local gift voucher.
Transport, booking, crowd and accessibility details are on the main Hongcheon River Kkongkkong Festival page, which covers every edition.
Source
Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.