Hwacheon County
Template:Infobox Korean settlement Hwacheon County (Hwacheon-gun) is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. The northern border parallels the Korean Demilitarized Zone, as close as 9km 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.
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.[1] These numbers do not reflect soldiers stationed in the area, which are estimated at approximately 35,000 personnel.[citation needed]
History
Due to the rugged terrain and harsh winters, Hwacheon was basically unpopulated other than occasional small villages along the major rivers prior to 1900. During the Japanese occupation of Korea, Hwacheon Dam was completed in 1944, providing a significant source of electrical power to (then) central Korea.[2] 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.
Culture
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 wild trout (Hangeul: 산천어) as possible.[3] This takes place in the Hwacheoncheon (stream), the 2008 festival lasting from January 5 to January 26.[4]
Food
Hwacheon is famous for its samgyeopsal, 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.
Sister Cities
References
- ^ "Population and Households". Hwacheon County Council. Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ "Hwacheon Dam". Retrieved 2008-09-11.
- ^ "South Korea's Ice Fishing Festival". BBC News. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
- ^ "Welcome to Hwacheon (Ice Fishing Festival)". Hwacheon County Council. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
External links
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