At a glance
| Dates | 2026 edition cancelledAbout nine or ten days from a Friday or Saturday in the second half of January, sometimes into early February: 27 Jan–4 Feb 2018, 26 Jan–3 Feb 2019, 18 Jan–2 Feb 2020 (extended a week), 20–29 Jan 2023; the cancelled 2024 edition was set for 19–28 Jan. It needs Soyang Dam at 183 m or lower and thick ice, and was cancelled every winter from 2024 to 2026. |
|---|---|
| Next edition | 2027: Not announced as of 19 October 2026, and not yet confirmed that it will be held. When it has run (or been planned), it has started on a Friday or Saturday in the second half of January for about nine or ten days (20–29 Jan 2023; cancelled 2024 plan 19–28 Jan). It needs Soyang Dam at 183 m or lower and ice about 25 cm thick; it was cancelled in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and in December 2025 the county said it would review a change of venue or alternative programmes. |
| Admission | Entry and the ice-fishing field have been free (the last edition held was in 2023). Rides such as sleds, ATVs and the Argo were separate activities whose prices were not published in the sources opened.Admission: Free · Ice-fishing field: Free (2023 prices) |
| Venue | Bingeoho (Icefish Lake) on upper Soyang Lake, Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon강원특별자치도 인제군 남면 부평리 555-2 (빙어호 일원) |
| Nearest station | No rail access; see Getting there |
| From Seoul | about 1 h 45 min · Bus + TaxiLeave from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal · One-way fare from ₩12,900Full route · Festivals by travel time from Seoul |
| Organizer | Inje County Culture Foundation, for Inje County인제군문화재단 (인제군) |
| Usual timing | About nine or ten days from a Friday or Saturday in the second half of January, sometimes into early February: 27 Jan–4 Feb 2018, 26 Jan–3 Feb 2019, 18 Jan–2 Feb 2020 (extended a week), 20–29 Jan 2023; the cancelled 2024 edition was set for 19–28 Jan. It needs Soyang Dam at 183 m or lower and thick ice, and was cancelled every winter from 2024 to 2026. Browse January / February festivals. |
| First held | 1998 |
| Last checked | 19 October 2026Checked against 26 sources · See sources |
Ice conditions: Ice fishing depends on the ice. Organizers open the fishing zones only once the ice is thick enough to be safe, and close or delay them after a warm spell or rain; in mild winters some festivals have been postponed or cancelled. Check the organizer's notice the day before you travel.
What it is like
Bingeo, the icefish or pond smelt, lives only in very clean water, and Inje County has built a winter festival around catching it through the ice of Soyang Lake since 1998, and it is often called the forerunner of Korea's local winter festivals. It grew out of the icefish village at Bupyeong-ri in Nam-myeon, where families came to fish on the frozen lake; the county later closed off an upstream arm with a 12 m-high, 220 m-long underwater weir to create Bingeoho, an 'icefish lake' whose ice and water level are easier to manage. When the festival runs, the format is simple: walk onto the ice, sit by a hole about 20 cm wide with a hand line and maggot bait, then eat your catch raw with red chilli sauce, fried, or in a spicy stew. In 2023 there was no entry fee and the 24,000 m² fishing field (about 1,400 holes) was free, with snow and ice sledding, ATV and amphibious Argo rides, a Snow Village recreating a 1960s mountain village, and the national ice soccer tournament that has run alongside the festival since 2000. Crowds can be big: about 232,000 people came on the 2018 opening weekend, and the 2023 edition drew more than 180,000 in ten days. The main caveat is reliability. The site needs Soyang Dam at 183 m or lower and ice about 25 cm thick. Heavy autumn and winter rain left the dam several metres too high (187.1 m in December 2023, 186.84 m in December 2025, against a typical 177.63 m) and mild weather kept the ice thin, so the festival was cancelled for three winters running, 2024, 2025 and 2026. The 2021 edition was cancelled for COVID-19, high water forced a move to the Inje Bridge area in 2010, and the 2018 edition was billed as the first in four years after drought and warm winters. In the nine winters from 2018 to 2026 it ran in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2023 and was cancelled in 2021, 2024, 2025 and 2026; no record of a 2022 edition was found. Inje held a residents' forum in December 2025 and said it would review a new venue or alternative programmes, but nothing had been announced for January 2027 by 19 October 2026. If it returns, expect free entry and about ten days in late January; if not, the Hwacheon and Pyeongchang trout festivals are the nearest large ice-fishing events.
Highlights
- Ice fishing for bingeo through holes in frozen Bingeoho: a free 24,000 m² field with about 1,400 holes in 2023, and 53,000 m² with about 6,000 holes for 5,000–6,000 people at once in 2018
- Eat the catch on the spot: icefish raw with red chilli sauce, fried, or in spicy stew and salad at the food village
- Snow sledding, ice sledding, ATV and amphibious Argo rides beside the fishing field (2023)
- Snow Village recreating a 1960s mountain village, plus hands-on booths
- Gangwon Governor's Cup National Ice Soccer Tournament on the lake, held with the festival since 2000 (78 teams and about 1,000 players in 2023)
- Daily prize draws for visitors who show receipts from shops in Inje (2023)
Who it suits. Best for families and anyone wanting a low-cost, low-key ice-fishing day on a large frozen lake, with free entry and free fishing when it runs. It has not run since January 2023, so it suits travellers who can check for an announcement in December and switch to Hwacheon or Pyeongchang if it is cancelled again; not for anyone who needs a guaranteed winter plan.
Getting there
From Seoul
Intercity bus from Dong Seoul Terminal to Sinnam (신남) in Nam-myeon, Inje: 14 a day as listed in October 2026, 1 h 23 m–1 h 45 m, ₩12,900. From Sinnam take a taxi to Bingeoho at Bupyeong-ri (the distance was not confirmed in the sources opened). Inje has no railway. By car, Inje is about 165 km northeast of Seoul.
Festival shuttle
No festival shuttle was documented for 2023 on the pages opened. In 2020 the agency Trazy sold a foreigners-only day package from hotels in Hongdae and Myeongdong that included the ice-fishing fee and a rod.
Getting home
Buses ran from Sinnam to Dong Seoul 7 times a day in October 2026; the January 2027 timetable has not been checked, and extra buses may run during a festival. Fishing hours were 10:00–17:00 in 2020. Check the last bus back from Sinnam at Dong Seoul Terminal before you set out.
How to switch Naver Map and Kakao Map to English
Google Maps shows train, subway and bus routes in Korea but not walking or driving directions yet, so for the walk from the station Naver Map or Kakao Map is more reliable.
Before you go
1330 · Travel hotline
The Korea Tourism Organization’s helpline answers in English, Japanese and Chinese around the clock, and in several other languages from 08:00 to 19:00. Dial 1330 from a Korean phone, or +82-2-1330 from a phone registered abroad.
112 / 119 · Emergencies
112 for police, 119 for fire and ambulance. Both are free from any phone. Police on 112 can add an English or Chinese interpreter to the call.
T-money card
Buy one at a convenience store such as GS25, CU or 7-Eleven and top it up there with cash. It pays for subways and buses in most cities, and for most taxis.
Maps
Use Naver Map or Kakao Map for walking and bus directions; Google Maps does not yet give walking directions in Korea. Both apps can be switched to English. Naver Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → Language (Japanese and Chinese also available). Kakao Map: Menu (≡) → Settings → App settings → Language. If the option is missing, change your phone’s language and reopen the app. Small shop names and some reviews stay in Korean.
Trains and buses
Book trains on Korail’s English site and express buses on Kobus. Holiday weekends sell out first.
Checked 18 October 2026.
Tickets, prices and practical details
| Item | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Admission | Free | No entry fee |
| Ice-fishing field | Free | Free-access field of 24,000 m² |
- Booking
- No booking was needed for the free ice-fishing field in 2023. Nothing can be booked for 2027 until the county announces whether the festival will be held.
- Crowds
- Busy at weekends when it runs: about 232,000 people came on the 2018 opening weekend, and the 2023 edition drew more than 180,000 in ten days.
- Best time to go
- Morning, when icefish bite best (2020 report); fishing hours were 10:00–17:00.
- What to bring
- Warm, waterproof winter clothes and boots, gloves and hand warmers. Hand lines and maggot bait are the usual gear; if you fish after the festival closes, bring your own, since all facilities were removed after the last day in 2023.
- Rain
- Weather and water dependent: the site needs Soyang Dam at 183 m or lower and ice about 25 cm thick. It was cancelled in 2024, 2025 and 2026 and extended by a week in 2020 when the cold held. Check for a cancellation notice before travelling.
Editions
| Year | Dates | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Not announced as of 19 October 2026, and not yet confirmed that it will be held. When it has run (or been planned), it has started on a Friday or Saturday in the second half of January for about nine or ten days (20–29 Jan 2023; cancelled 2024 plan 19–28 Jan). It needs Soyang Dam at 183 m or lower and ice about 25 cm thick; it was cancelled in 2024, 2025 and 2026, and in December 2025 the county said it would review a change of venue or alternative programmes. | tba | The usual site at Bingeoho, Bupyeong-ri, depends on Soyang Dam's level. Inje's 2026 summer festival was also called off after its lakeside site flooded, and embankment work was under way in June 2026. |
| 2026 | To be announced | cancelled | Parts of the lakeside grounds were under water. |
| 2023 | 20–29 Jan 2023 | ended | Bingeoho area, Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon. |
| 2020 | 18 Jan – 2 Feb 2020 | ended | Bingeoho, Bupyeong-ri, upstream of the main Soyang Lake. |
| 2019 | 26 Jan – 3 Feb 2019 | ended | Nine days. About 22,500 visitors on the opening day by the county's count. |
| 2018 | 27 Jan – 4 Feb 2018 | ended | Nine days. More than 232,000 visitors on the opening weekend (112,000 on 27 Jan and 120,000 on 28 Jan); ice at least 35 cm thick. |
Before or after the festival
Places you can fit in before or after the festival without missing the shuttle or the last train or bus back.
- Bingeoho Promotion Hall (빙어호 홍보관)Before or after
A three-storey lakeside exhibition hall opened by Inje County in August 2025: a café on the ground floor, finds from Bupyeong-ri from the Palaeolithic to the Joseon period, an immersive room showing media art of Inje's four seasons, an icefish-fishing experience corner and a rooftop deck overlooking Bingeoho. It is open 10:00–18:00 (closed Mondays and public holidays), so it fits before or after fishing (10:00–17:00 in 2020). Tip: warm up in the café while you wait for the taxi back to Sinnam.
Getting there: In Bupyeong-ri by Bingeoho (Morubak-gil 17-35, Nam-myeon); distance from the festival grounds not confirmed, ask on site or take a taxi
- Getting awayAfter
Getting home is the hard part: only about 7 buses a day ran from Sinnam to Dong Seoul in October 2026, no festival shuttle was documented, and Bingeoho is a taxi ride from Sinnam. Check the last bus back at Dong Seoul Terminal before you set out, and leave the ice with time to spare for the taxi to Sinnam.
Questions travelers ask
When is the Inje Icefish Festival 2027?
No dates or decision had been announced as of 19 October 2026. The festival was cancelled in 2024, 2025 and 2026 because Soyang Dam was too high for safe ice, and in December 2025 the county said it would review a new venue or alternative programmes. When it has run, it has lasted about nine or ten days in the second half of January (20–29 January in 2023).
Why does the festival keep being cancelled?
The lake site needs Soyang Dam at 183 m or lower and ice about 25 cm thick. Heavy rain left the dam at 187.1 m in December 2023 and 186.84 m in December 2025 (a typical year is 177.63 m), flooding parts of the grounds, and mild weather kept the ice thin. COVID-19 cancelled the 2021 edition.
How much does it cost?
Entry and the ice-fishing field have been free; in 2023, the last edition held, the free field covered 24,000 m². Sled, ATV and Argo rides were run separately; their prices were not published in the sources found.
How do I get there from Seoul?
Take an intercity bus from Dong Seoul Terminal to Sinnam in Nam-myeon (14 a day as listed in October 2026, 1 h 23 m–1 h 45 m, ₩12,900), then a taxi to Bingeoho at Bupyeong-ri. Check the last bus back from Sinnam at Dong Seoul Terminal before you set out.
What is bingeo, and can I eat it?
Bingeo is a small icefish (pond smelt) from Soyang Lake. Visitors eat it raw with red chilli sauce, fried, or in a spicy stew or seasoned salad; a 2020 report noted that provincial parasite tests on the fish came back negative.
Can I fish on the lake when the festival is not on?
People kept fishing Bingeoho after the 2023 festival closed, but all facilities were removed, so you need your own gear, and residents warned that the ice thins quickly in mild weather; stay near the shore. Do not go onto the ice in a winter when the festival has been cancelled for thin ice.
What can I do instead if it is cancelled again?
The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival and the Pyeongchang Trout Festival both run ice fishing in Gangwon in January; see our pages for each.
Sources and verification
Facts checked
19 October 2026, against the sources listed below.
This page is desk research from the sources below, not a firsthand report of the 2026 edition. Confidence in the current facts: medium.
- Kyunghyang Shinmun (English) 2025-12-28 — Winter festivals in Gangwon Province face an 'emergency'news — January 2026 festival cancelled by Inje County and the culture foundation; three consecutive cancellations since 2024; held each January at Bingeoho, upper Soyang Lake, Nam-myeon; forerunner of local winter festivals; site needs 183 m or lower; 186.84 m on 28 Dec vs 177.63 m average; October monsoon about 20 days; venue change under review
- Herald Economy 2026-01-12 — “20만명 우르르 몰렸었는데”…겨울축제 또 무산news — 2026 festival not held; about 200,000 visitors in 2023; organizer Inje County Culture Foundation; residents' forum December 2025; three straight cancellations; dam needs about 183 m, level in the high 185 m range; parts of the site under water
- Herald Economy 2026-01-14 — “1년 내내 기다렸는데” 결국 ‘이 생선’ 못 본다news — Third straight year without the festival (2024–2026): ice not thick enough, heavy autumn rain and high Soyang Dam level flooding the site; festival uses part of Soyang Lake
- Kukinews 2023-12-27 — 인제빙어축제 전면 취소news — 2024 edition planned 19–28 Jan 2024 at Bingeoho, 남면 부평리; cancelled 27 Dec 2023; needs dam at 183 m or lower; 187.1 m vs 183.3 m a year earlier and 177.3 m normal; about three times normal rain since November; venue moved to the Inje Bridge area in 2010 for high water; summer festival planned instead
- Kyunghyang via Daum 2024-01-11 — 겨울축제 이상고온에 ‘취소·연기’ 이어져news — 2024 Inje festival cancelled: warm weather, more than three times normal rainfall, high Soyang Dam level made building the site and freezing the ice difficult
- Kukinews 2024-02-01 — 인제군 '올 여름 MZ세대 마음 훔칠 축제 선보인다'news — Festival drew about 200,000 a year; 2024 cancelled for high dam level; replacement summer festival; ₩40 billion four-season tourism project at the lake through 2027
- Kukinews 2025-07-01 — 인제 여름축제 베일 벗었다news — Summer festival at Bingeoho by the Inje County Culture Foundation and Inje County: first in 2024 with about 60,000 visitors; 2025 edition 26 Jul–10 Aug
- Jaekyung Ilbo 2026-06-29 — 인제군, 2026 여름 축제 결국 취소news — 2026 summer festival cancelled on 29 Jun 2026: original site flooded after heavy rain and high Soyang Dam level; embankment work under way; Bingeoho level depends directly on the dam
- Segye (The Segye) 2025-03-30 — 인제군문화재단, 대표축제 아이디어 공모전 실시news — Spring 2025 ideas contest (31 Mar–18 Apr 2025) for the icefish, summer and autumn flower festivals
- NS News (뉴스서울) 2023-01-24 — 한파야 물럿거라, 인제빙어축제news — 23rd edition 20–29 Jan 2023 at Bingeoho, Nam-myeon; no entry fee; free 24,000 m² fishing field; snow sled, ice sled, ATV, Argo; Snow Village; 23rd Governor's Cup ice soccer, 78 teams, about 1,000 players, begun in 2000; 91,355 visitors by 17:00 on 23 Jan; receipt prize draws (two a day)
- Sports Kyunghyang 2023-01-29 — 한파야 물렀거라! 인제빙어축제 후끈한 일정 모두 소화news — 23rd edition ended 29 Jan 2023 after 10 days; more than 180,000 visitors; ice nearly 40 cm; fishing continued after the close but all facilities removed; residents' advice to stay near the shore
- Seoul Shinmun 2023-01-20 — 긴 연휴 여기 어때…추워서 더 재밌는 겨울축제news — 2023 dates 20–29 Jan at 남면 부평리 빙어호; 24,000 m² and 1,400 holes; ice about 30 cm vs 25 cm standard; 1960s mountain-village snow village; opening ceremony 21 Jan 14:00 with Lee Chan-won; 29 Jan draw with compact car and 55-inch TV
- Seoul Shinmun 2020-01-23 — ‘소양호 요정’ 빙어 천국… 짜릿한 손맛 보드래요news — 20th edition 18 Jan–2 Feb 2020 (extended from 27 Jan); fishing 10:00–17:00; 200,000 m² of ice, 2,000+ holes; 110,000+ visitors by 22 Jan; Snow Village; free indoor playground; trout area; contest; 80-team game; no ice soccer; Bupyeong-ri village origins; Bingeoho made by closing an upstream channel; how icefish are eaten; parasite tests negative; maggot bait, hand lines; morning bites
- Korea Herald via Daum 2020-11-24 — Inje Icefish Festival canceled due to pandemicnews — 2021 edition (nine days from 15 Jan) cancelled for the third COVID-19 wave, online version considered; festival established 1998; Inje about 165 km northeast of Seoul; ice holes about 20 cm wide
- Pressian 2019-01-27 — 2019 인제빙어축제 화려한 개막news — 19th edition opened 26 Jan 2019 for nine days to 3 Feb; Bingeoho, Bupyeong-ri; opening ceremony 17:00 with fireworks; 33 programmes in 8 categories; free fishing spot; about 22,500 visitors on opening day
- Fnnews / News1 2019-01-26 — [화보] 광활한 빙판 위 인파 가득한 인제빙어축제news — 19th edition opening day 26 Jan 2019; entry from 10:00; about 2,000 holes drilled
- Pressian 2018-01-29 — ‘제18회 인제빙어축제’ 완벽한 부활…개막 첫 주말 23만명news — 18th edition opened 27 Jan 2018; 112,000 and 120,000 visitors on the first two days, 232,000+ for the weekend; ice 35 cm+; 53,000 m², 6,000+ holes, free fishing; net-scooping, ice castle, maze, sleds, bobsleigh, bumper cars; snow race at Wondae-ri birch forest on 27 Jan; ice soccer preliminaries
- Maeil Shinmun / Kangwon Ilbo 2018-02-01 — 4년 만에 돌아온 '인제빙어축제'news — 18th edition 27 Jan–4 Feb 2018, nine days, first in four years after drought and abnormal weather; Bingeoho made by a 12 m-high, 220 m-long underwater weir; 5,000–6,000 anglers at once; 10 tons of icefish released; 24 restaurants; first held 1998; icefish need very clean water; organizer Inje County Culture Foundation
- Kyunghyang Shinmun 2025-08-20 — 인제군 남면 일대에 조성된 '빙어 홍보관' 개관news — Icefish Promotion Center opened in August 2025: three storeys, 998 m², in Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon
- Trazy — Winter Festivals Shuttle Bus Package: Seoul ↔ Hongcheon / Daegwallyeong / Inje (2020)other — Festival address 555-2 Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon; 2020 foreigners-only package departing Hongdae 07:30 and Myeongdong 08:10/08:20, festival time 11:30–17:00, back in Seoul 20:00–21:00; fishing fee and rod included; ice fishing not available until 20 Jan 2020
- Dong Seoul → Sinnam intercity bus timetable (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-12)other — 14 buses a day: 07:40, 08:50, 10:05, 10:45, 12:00, 13:40, 15:49, 15:59, 16:15, 16:55, 17:20, 18:15, 19:15, 19:50; 1 h 23 m–1 h 45 m; ₩12,900 adult
- Sinnam → Dong Seoul intercity bus departures (third-party mirror of the national timetable feed, page last modified 2026-10-19)other — 7 buses a day to Dong Seoul: 07:20, 08:25, 09:55, 13:55, 15:25, 16:50 (arr. 18:30), 18:50 (arr. 20:30); ₩12,900 adult
- VISITKOREA — Inje Icefish Festivalkto — Venue Bingeoho, 555-2 Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon; organizer and host Inje Foundation for Arts and Culture; last dated listing 20–29 Jan 2023
- 인제빙어축제 — Inje Foundation for Arts and Culture (official festival site)official — Organizer's own site has no edition after 2023 (newest notice December 2023; icefish menu shows '준비중입니다')
- ktriptips (KTO data mirror) — 빙어호 홍보관kto — Bingeoho Promotion Hall, 남면 모루박길 17-35: café on the 1st floor, immersive video room and icefish-fishing experience on the 2nd, Soyang Lake relics and history on the 3rd; open 10:00–18:00, closed Mondays and public holidays; no admission fee or homepage listed
- Kyunghyang Shinmun 2025-08-20 — 인제군 남면 일대에 조성된 '빙어 홍보관' 개관news — Hall in Bupyeong-ri, Nam-myeon: three storeys, 998 m²; café; Palaeolithic-to-Joseon finds from Bupyeong-ri; immersive media-art room on Inje's four seasons; rooftop deck overlooking Bingeoho
What we could not confirm
- Whether the festival will be held in January 2027, and its dates: nothing announced by Inje County or the Inje County Culture Foundation as of 19 Oct 2026; the county said in Dec 2025 it would review a new venue or alternative programmes.
- Status of the 2022 edition was not confirmed (the 2023 edition was billed as the 23rd, so 2021 and 2022 may have been counted); 2015–2017 are inferred as not held from the 2018 'first in four years' report.
- Coordinates (37.985, 128.13) are approximate, placed on Bingeoho at Bupyeong-ri from the published address without a map source; the brief's 'Namjeon-ri' did not appear in any source, which all give Bupyeong-ri (Trazy: 555-2 Bupyeong-ri).
- Distance and taxi fare from Sinnam bus stop to the lake, and whether any bus stops closer; parking arrangements.
- Ride and activity prices (sleds, ATV, Argo) and daily hours for 2023 were not found.
- Japanese and Chinese names not verified; the festival is not in the site's KTO TourAPI snapshot (no contentId).
- Organizer website not confirmed.
- Last bus back from Sinnam to Dong Seoul on the festival dates under the timetable in force that day (the October 2026 bus counts came from a third-party mirror of the national timetable feed).
- Distance from the festival grounds to the Bingeoho Promotion Hall, and its admission fee (the KTO listing gives none).
Changes: 2026-10-19 — Added to the site: fact-first record (dates, hours, prices, getting there, sources). · 2026-10-19 — Added a photograph from the Korea Tourism Organization (Korea Tourism Content Lab), KOGL Type 1. · 2026-10-20 — The two "normal" Soyang Dam levels (177.3 m and 177.63 m) are now attributed to their reports; the unsupported "18th" ice soccer tournament number for 2018 removed. · 2026-10-21 — Source check: added the organizer's own site and the KTO listing; the 2026 cancellation itself is reported by news, with no notice on the organizer's site. · 2026-10-21 — Transport: removed bus clock times from the October 2026 timetable, which does not cover January 2027; journey time, bus counts and fare kept, with a reminder to check the last bus before setting out. · 2026-10-30 — Nearby rewritten as 'Before or after the festival' (shuttle and last-train fit); transport: removed the 2020 tour-package clock times and added a 'Getting away' line (sparse buses from Sinnam); prices: free entry and fishing stated without a year label.
