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Gangneung to impose water restrictions amid worsening drought

Published: 06 Sep. 2025, 14:11 Updated: 07 Sep. 2025, 12:59

A firefighting helicopter sprays water over Obong Reservoir, Gangneung’s main water source, on Friday in an effort to raise water levels as the coastal city grapples with its worst drought in years. [YONHAP]

The city of Gangneung, Gangwon, imposed water restrictions on large apartment complexes and facilities with storage tanks of 100 tons or more starting Saturday, as the coastal city struggles with a severe drought.

Gangneung Mayor Kim Hong-kyu announced the emergency measure during a press conference at City Hall’s disaster situation room on Friday, warning that further steps will follow if reservoir levels continue to fall.

The initial restrictions, which took effect from 9 a.m. Saturday, target 123 facilities in the Hongje service area, except for some smaller counties. Water supply from the plant will be suspended, with fire trucks delivering water sourced from the Yeongok plant and neighboring municipalities.

If levels fall below the 10 percent threshold, the city will adopt a two-step response: first, cutting water supply daily from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., and second, enforcing alternate-day usage depending on reservoir conditions.

National agencies are also stepping in.

The Korea Forest Service has deployed helicopters, including two S-64s capable of carrying 8,000 liters each and two Kamov helicopters with 3,000-liter capacity. The Defense Ministry has dispatched five Chinook helicopters. Together with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, they plan to provide some 1,660 tons of water per day.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.

BY PARK JIN-HO [[email protected]]