Foreign diplomats stationed in Korea visited the Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival, experiencing one of the country’s signature winter celebrations blending together ice fishing, regional cuisine and cultural exchanges. According to Hwacheon County, a 32-member diplomatic delegation from 11 countries traveled from Seoul to the northeastern county on Jan. 13. The group included ambassadors from Malaysia, Tajikistan, Kenya and Iraq, as well as diplomats representing the United States, Bangladesh, Laos, Honduras, Argentina, Zambia and Congo. The delegation began its visit with lunch at a local restaurant to sample a variety of dishes made with the mountain trout that gives the festival its name. They then toured a promotional hall for a scholarship program supporting descendants of Ethiopian veterans of the Korean War, and participants tasted coffee prepared in a traditional Ethiopian style by beneficiaries of the initiative. The diplomats later headed to a designated zone for foreigners to try ice fishing, a centerpiece of the festival. Cheers and applause broke out as participants haule