The Sancheoneo, the star of the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival, is thriving despite this summer's record heat. More than 155 tons of Sancheoneo are expected to be supplied for next year's festival. Hwacheon County plans to increase the local production share to connect the festival's success to residents' income.
According to Hwacheon County, Mayor Kim Se-hoon and officials from the inland water department inspected seven Sancheoneo farms in the Sain and Gandong areas on August 23. The inspection revealed that the fish are growing well, reaching lengths of 15 to 20 centimeters, and there have been almost no deaths due to disease despite the summer heat.
For next year's Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival, over 155 tons of Sancheoneo are anticipated. The county expects that more than 70 tons will be produced at local farms from December to January. The county is also pursuing ways to increase the local self-sufficiency rate of Sancheoneo for the festival.
Mayor Kim instructed the county to actively consider supporting local fish farms with beneficial microorganisms produced by the county. He also urged the inland water department to promote advanced aquaculture techniques to the farms.
Based on this year's supply results, the county is considering expanding contract volumes for some local farms for next year. The production capacity of the county-operated farms will also be increased.
Mayor Kim visited the county-operated farms in Woncheon-ri and Nonmi-ri to check the processes of egg collection, fry production, rearing, and shipping, directing efforts to expand self-production. Currently, the annual production capacity of the county-operated farms is about 20 tons.
The county plans to complete inspections of aquaculture farms supplying to festivals nationwide before the event. The Sancheoneo supplied from December will be gradually released after acclimating to temperatures similar to those at the festival site.
Expanding Sancheoneo production aligns with the resident income-focused policies of the ninth elected term of Hwacheon County. Despite attracting numerous tourists to the Sancheoneo Festival, there have been ongoing concerns that many visitors only engage in day trips, with significant portions of spending on lodging and meals flowing to nearby cities, preventing the local economy from fully benefiting from the festival's scale.
This has led to the criticism that 'fun is experienced in Hwacheon, but money is spent elsewhere.' As the Sancheoneo Festival has grown into a world-class winter event, there are calls to not only increase visitor numbers but also to encourage them to stay longer and connect their spending to local restaurants, accommodations, and agricultural products.
The shift in focus of the ninth elected term under Mayor Kim Se-hoon from 'entertainment' to 'resident income' is also related to this issue. The 2026 Hwacheon Tomato Festival demonstrated the potential for this change. It confirmed that attracting tourist spending on local agricultural products and businesses can be another competitive advantage for the festival.
The Sancheoneo Festival faces similar challenges. One of the starting points is to increase local production of Sancheoneo. By producing more of the festival's key resource locally, the costs associated with the festival can translate into income for local fish farms, creating a cycle within the local economy. If policies connecting accommodations, food, agricultural products, experiences, and tourist attractions are supported, residents will be able to feel the economic benefits of the Sancheoneo Festival more directly.
Ultimately, the challenge for the 2027 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival is clear. It must transition from merely measuring 'how many tourists visited' to demonstrating 'how long tourists stayed in Hwacheon, how much they spent, and how much of that money returned to the residents.'
Mayor Kim Se-hoon stated, "The Sancheoneo for the 2027 Hwacheon Sancheoneo Festival is growing healthily. We will do our best to produce the highest quality Sancheoneo so that tourists can enjoy both taste and experience."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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