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Gangneung faces drought at height of vacation season

Published: 06 Aug. 2025, 09:54 Updated: 06 Aug. 2025, 11:44

Obong Reservoir in Gangneung, Gangwon, shows exposed ground near its upper stream area on July 20 as low inflow leaves water levels critically low. [YONHAP]

GANGNEUNG, Gangwon — The sand may be endless at Gangneung’s beaches, but the water is not, as the coastal city in Gangwon battles a worsening drought in the height of vacation season.

The popular summer destination on Korea’s east coast is facing a water shortage emergency as a prolonged drought continues to dry up key reservoirs.

On Friday, faucets at a foot-washing station near Gyeongpo Beach public restrooms were shut off. Of the two remaining faucets at the site, only seawater flowed.

“I needed to rinse my feet before getting in the car, so I used it, but it was seawater — it felt uncomfortable,” said a 42-year-old woman surnamed Jang. “There were so many people, and the water pressure was weak, so it took forever to get the sand off.”

A sign posted at a nearby outdoor shower urged visitors to keep their showers to under five minutes “to prevent water shortages in Gangneung.” An attendant managing the facility added, “There hasn’t been any rain, so please make it quick — we’re running out of water.”

Three public swimming pools in Gangneung have been closed indefinitely since July 14 due to the drought, and the planned opening of a large indoor water park has also been postponed indefinitely. Public buildings are cutting back too — Gangneung City Hall, for example, has halved water pressure in its restrooms.

A faucet at a foot-washing station near a public restroom at Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon [YONHAP]

“To avoid the worst-case scenario of rationing, we need the Obong Reservoir to be at least 40 percent full,” a city official said. “Right now, it’s closer to 30 percent, so we’ve begun conservation measures.”

When water levels are stable, the Obong Reservoir supplies 200,000 tons of household and agricultural water daily. In the case of the city’s household water, the reservoir supplies a whopping 87 percent.

But as of Friday, the Obong Reservoir was at just 30.8 percent capacity. That’s a steep drop from the average 67.4 percent at this time of year, and below last year’s 52.7 percent.

The water level at Obong Reservoir dropped to 26.7 percent on July 14. A few days of rain pushed it back up to 36.7 percent by July 23, but a return of scorching heat has sent it falling fast again.

The Korea Rural Community Corporation’s Gangneung office has slashed agricultural water distribution from the reservoir since early June — moving from alternating two-day supply and cutoff periods to three-day cutoffs in July.

If the reservoir drops below 25 percent, restrictions on household water use will become unavoidable. A sign at Gyeongpo Beach warns that public restrooms will be closed if levels fall below that threshold.

A sign encouraging water conservation is posted at a shower facility at Gyeongpo Beach in Gangneung, Gangwon. [YONHAP]

“Gangneung is already rolling out water conservation campaigns like pool closures,” said Kim In-yeol, head of the Obong office at the corporation’s Gangneung branch. “If residents and vacationers cooperate, we can get through the end of this month.”

Meanwhile, record-breaking heat and severe drought have triggered emergency water supply requests across Gangwon. As of Thursday, the Gangwon Fire Headquarters had delivered 456 tons of water for daily use, 29 tons for livestock farms and 15 tons for agriculture across all 18 cities and counties within the province.

Gangneung received the largest share at 202 tons, followed by Hwacheon with 69 tons, Samcheok with 58 tons and Goseong with 43 tons.

“This isn’t just a weather anomaly — it’s a matter of survival,” said Kim Seung-ryong, chief of the Gangwon Fire Headquarters. “We will continue to respond with comprehensive safety and emergency measures.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK JIN-HO [[email protected]]