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K-water, Microsoft to create marsh near Korea's largest dam

Published: 20 Aug. 2025, 19:00 Updated: 20 Aug. 2025, 20:03

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

Soyang Dam in Chuncheon, Gangwon, is Korea's largest dam. [K-WATER]

Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) will create a marsh near Korea's largest dam in Gangwon for a water quality project fully funded by Microsoft, the state-owned water management firm said Wednesday.

K-water will create an artificial marsh in the upstream area of Soyang Dam in Chuncheon, Gangwon, with the aim of improving the quality of the water that flows in. The agreement makes K-water the first Korean entity to partner with Microsoft on the tech company's water replenishment projects.

Managing water use has especially become a crucial task in the age of AI tools, which use up vast amounts of water for cooling data centers. Microsoft's water footprint skyrocketed 34 percent in one year, from 2021 to 2022, the firm disclosed in its environmental report.

K-water signed an agreement with Microsoft in August to achieve the U.S. tech firm's Water Positive initiative, a United Nations-defined goal to restore and manage water resources at a level that matches water consumption.

The marsh aims to reduce nonpoint pollution by around 30 percent, replenishing approximately 340,000 tons of water annually — an amount K-water says would fulfill the water needs of 1 million people in a day.

Microsoft will fully fund the construction and maintenance of the marsh, and K-water will design the artificial wetland and carry out the project. K-water currently manages the Soyang Dam's hydroelectric power, water and flood control.

The two organizations will also collaborate on additional water quality projects, K-water said.

“As AI reshapes industries, it has become critical for global companies with high water use to minimize their environmental impact and return water in sustainable ways,” said Yun Seog-dae, CEO of K-water.

“This partnership marks the first step for global Big Tech firms to join K-water in practicing shared responsibility for water restoration, and it will serve as a new model of cooperation for advancing ESG [environmental, social and governance] goals and Korea’s bid to become one of the world’s top three AI powers.”

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]