▲ The 15th Sokcho Dormuk and Yangmi-ri Festival

Sokcho City announced that the 15th Sokcho Dorumuk and Yangmi-ri Festival, hosted by the Sokcho Fisheries Cooperative and organized by the Sokcho City Cheongho Net Association, will be held from November 8 to 17 at Sokcho Port Site.

During the event, the festival hall will have a free tasting section for tourists, and additional events such as popular Pumba performances will also be held to provide visitors with a variety of things to see and enjoy, along with the taste of the seasonal delicacies of Dorumuk and Yangmi-ri on the east coast.

The festival aims to attract tourists and increase the income of fishermen in Sokcho by promoting the taste and value of Dorumuk and Yangmi-ri, Gangwon-do's representative fisheries products in autumn, and provides new vitality to local fishermen suffering from a decrease in catches.

According to the city's own statistics, the catch of Dorumuk in Sokcho has decreased significantly from 204 tons in 2022 to 82 tons in 2023, and this year, it is only 4 tons as of October. The catch of Yangmi-ri also decreased from 923 tons in 2022 to 390 tons last year, and this year, the catch has continued to decline, with only 26 tons as of October. The main reasons for the decrease in catch are changes in the marine ecosystem and fish species distribution due to climate change. As a result, Sokcho City is striving to protect fishery resources and increase the catch.

Sokcho Mayor Lee Byung-sun said, "We hope that many people will experience the special taste and pleasure that Sokcho's nature provides through this Dorumuk and Yangmi-ri festival." adding, "We hope that it will ease the economic hardships of fishermen who are suffering from a decrease in fishing volume and bring positive changes to the local economy through win-win with consumers."

On the other hand, Sokcho City plans to hold a guidance period until November 17 this year, especially as the "Ordinance on the Standards for the Capture and Collection of Fisheries Resources by Non-Businessmen in Gangwon State" is implemented, and then conduct a thorough crackdown on the capture of Dorumuk using non-businessmen's feet.