Hwacheon County
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Hwacheon 화천군 |
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|---|---|---|
| County | ||
| Korean transcription(s) | ||
| • Hangul | ||
| • Hanja | ||
| • Revised Romanization | Hwacheon-gun | |
| • McCune-Reischauer | Hwach'ŏn-gun | |
|
||
 Location in South Korea |
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| Country |
 South Korea
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|
| Region | Gwandong | |
| Administrative divisions | 1 eup, 4 myeon | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 909.45 km2 (351.14 sq mi) | |
| Population (2005) | ||
| • Total | 23,822 | |
| • Density | 26.2/km2 (68/sq mi) | |
| • Dialect | Gangwon | |
Hwacheon County (Hwacheon-gun) is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The northern border parallels the Korean Demilitarized Zone, as close as nine kilometers 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, lake trout, indigenous otters, and natural scenery.
As of 2005, the population of Hwacheon stood at 23,822. 12,471 of these people were male; 11,351 were female. 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.
Before 1900, Hwacheon was extremely sparsely populated, with only a few small villages alongside major rivers, due to its rugged terrain and harsh winters. Hwacheon Dam was completed in 1944 and the electricity it generated proved to be a boon. However, it was also source of conflict during the Korean War due to its strategic value as both a power plant and potential weapon (by intentionally flooding downstream areas). It ended up well inside allied territory with the establishment of the DMZ to the north in 1953.
As Gangwon Province 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.
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