Hwacheon County
Encyclopedia
Hwacheon County is a county
in Gangwon Province
, South Korea
. The northern border parallels the Korean Demilitarized Zone
, as close as 9 km in some places. Neighboring counties are Cheorwon to the northwest and north, Yanggu
to the east, Chuncheon
to the south, and the Gyeonggi-do
province to the southwest. The county consists largely of mountains and rivers, between which are small farming communities, military bases and military training grounds. The area is renowned for its rivers, the lake trout and otters indigenous to the county, and dramatic natural scenery.
was completed in 1944, providing a significant source of electrical power to (then) central Korea. Due to its strategic value as both a power plant and potential weapon (by intentionally flooding downstream areas), this dam was the source of heavy conflict during the Korean War
, finally ending up well inside allied territory with the establishment of the DMZ to the north in 1953.
is South Korea's
coldest region, Hwacheon is home to an ice fishing festival in which thousands of competitors try to catch as many sancheoneo (Hangul
: 산천어, wild trout) as possible. This takes place in the Hwacheoncheon (stream) during nearly the entire month of January. The festival organizers claim there are roughly 1,000,000 visitors annually.
Other annual events in Hwacheon include the Jjokbae (Hangul
: 쪽배, water raft) Festival in late July, the Tomato Festival in mid-August, and the Dragon Festival.
, a pork dish offered at nearly every restaurant in town. Pork is cooked on a grill over hot coals, cut into bite-sized pieces, and wrapped in a lettuce leaf along with garlic, hot peppers, rice, and various other vegetables and sauces, then eaten by hand. Variants of the meal include using marinated beef instead of bacon.
Administrative divisions of South Korea
||South Korea is divided into 8 provinces , 1 special autonomous province , 6 metropolitan cities , and 1 special city...
in Gangwon Province
Gangwon-do (South Korea)
Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. The northern border parallels the Korean Demilitarized Zone
Korean Demilitarized Zone
The Korean Demilitarized Zone is a strip of land running across the Korean Peninsula that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. The DMZ cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half, crossing the 38th parallel on an angle, with the west end of the DMZ lying south of the parallel and...
, as close as 9 km in some places. Neighboring counties are Cheorwon to the northwest and north, Yanggu
Yanggu
Yanggu may refer to;*Yanggu County, Shandong , of Liaocheng, Shandong, China*Yanggu, Gangwon , county of Gangwon Province, South Korea...
to the east, Chuncheon
Chuncheon
Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon Province, South Korea. The city lies in the northeast of the country, located in a basin formed by the Soyang River and Han River. There are some large lakes around the city, most notably Lake Soyang and Lake Uiam...
to the south, and the Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do
Gyeonggi-do is the most populous province in South Korea. The provincial capital is located at Suwon. Seoul—South Korea's largest city and national capital—is located in the heart of the province, but has been separately administered as a provincial-level special city since 1946...
province to the southwest. The county consists largely of mountains and rivers, between which are small farming communities, military bases and military training grounds. The area is renowned for its rivers, the lake trout and otters indigenous to the county, and dramatic natural scenery.
Demographics
As of 2005, the population of Hwacheon stood at 23,822. 12,471 of these people were male, while there were 11,351 females. Only 90 of these people (0.38%) were foreign residents - 20 male and 70 female. The average household was home to 2.4 people, and 3,577 of the population (15%) was aged 65 or older. These numbers do not reflect soldiers stationed in the area, which are estimated at approximately 35,000 personnel.History
Due to the rugged terrain and harsh winters, Hwacheon was essentially unpopulated other than disbursed small villages along the major rivers prior to 1900. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, Hwacheon DamHwacheon Dam
Hwacheon Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the North Han River in Hwacheon County, Gangwon-do Province, South Korea. The dam was completed in 1944 as a primary source of electricity in South Korea...
was completed in 1944, providing a significant source of electrical power to (then) central Korea. Due to its strategic value as both a power plant and potential weapon (by intentionally flooding downstream areas), this dam was the source of heavy conflict during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
, finally ending up well inside allied territory with the establishment of the DMZ to the north in 1953.
Culture
As Gangwon ProvinceGangwon-do (South Korea)
Gangwon-do is a province of South Korea, with its capital at Chuncheon. Before the division of Korea in 1945, Gangwon and its North Korean neighbour Kangwŏn formed a single province.-History:...
is South Korea's
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
coldest region, Hwacheon is home to an ice fishing festival in which thousands of competitors try to catch as many sancheoneo (Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 산천어, wild trout) as possible. This takes place in the Hwacheoncheon (stream) during nearly the entire month of January. The festival organizers claim there are roughly 1,000,000 visitors annually.
Other annual events in Hwacheon include the Jjokbae (Hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 쪽배, water raft) Festival in late July, the Tomato Festival in mid-August, and the Dragon Festival.
Food
Hwacheon is famous for its samgyeopsalSamgyeopsal
Samgyeopsal is a popular Korean dish. Commonly served as an evening meal, it consists of thick, fatty slices of pork belly meat . The meat, usually neither marinated nor seasoned, is cooked on a grill at the diners' table...
, a pork dish offered at nearly every restaurant in town. Pork is cooked on a grill over hot coals, cut into bite-sized pieces, and wrapped in a lettuce leaf along with garlic, hot peppers, rice, and various other vegetables and sauces, then eaten by hand. Variants of the meal include using marinated beef instead of bacon.