BUSAN, Dec. 15 (Korea Bizwire) – South Korea’s top winter festival, where ‘human polar bears’ brave the frigid seas, is returning, with the 36th Haeundae Polar Bear Festival set to take place from January 14 to 16 at Haeundae Beach in Busan. The festival, originally launched in 1988 to commemorate the Seoul Olympics, has been recognized by the British BBC as one of the top ten unique winter sports events in the world.
This year’s festival marks a grand return to the winter sea, following a hiatus due to COVID-19 in 2021 and weather anomalies in 2022. It’s not just for swimming enthusiasts but aims to be a community event open to citizens and tourists alike. Exhibitions, a pre-event night, and side events are accessible to all.
Special attractions include enriching pre-event exhibitions like the Giant Snowball Photo Zone and Haeundae Polar Bear Character Photo Zone, open from January 14 to 16. The Giant Snowball Photo Zone offers an immersive experience of being inside a branded glacial snowball, turning visitors into human polar bears.
At night, the Polar Bear Photo Zone will light up, complementing the Haeundae Light Festival’s luminous sculptures.
The evening before the main event, a unique runway show, the Haeundae Polar Bear Perpet Show, will feature pets and their owners dressed in polar bear costumes. Additionally, a free Haeundae Polar Bear Music Party will entertain attendees with performances by Soundhills, From 2020, and the 10-member band Harmonize, hosted by MC Park Kyung-min.
The main event kicks off on January 16 at 1 p.m. with the 1km Companion Swim, organized by the Busan Sea Swimming Association.
At 2 p.m., the excitement builds with the opening ceremony, Polar Bear Dive Parade, and the final round of the Polar Bear Running Race. There will also be a segment introducing participants with unique stories. Performances by singer Psy Burger and rapper San E will amp up the atmosphere.
The highlight, the Dive Ceremony, is scheduled for 4 p.m. Over 2000 ‘human polar bears’ will leap into the sea simultaneously after a countdown, a spectacle to be broadcast live via drones.
Post-dive, participants can capture their achievement at the Certification Photo Zone. Side events like Polar Bear Sports Challenges and an Ice Bucket Challenge will be available from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
In line with environmental sustainability, the festival will also feature a Polar Bear ESG Practice Campaign. Participants who submit photos and stories of ESG in daily life will be selected for on-stage interviews and receive prizes.
Image credit: Busan City, Yonhap / photonews@koreabizwire.com
