Gangneung City Implements Unprecedented Indefinite Water Restrictions Due to Worst Drought in History
This summer, while heavy rains have poured across the country, the eastern coastal region of Gangwon has suffered from extreme drought with little to no rainfall.
In particular, Gangneung City is facing an unprecedented situation with its water sources running dry, leading to the first-ever indefinite water restrictions.
On the 19th, Mayor Kim Hong-kyu of Gangneung held a press conference at City Hall that morning and announced, "From 9 AM on the 20th, we will implement restricted water supply in all areas of the Hongje Water Treatment Plant (excluding Jumunjin-eup, Yeongok-myeon, and Wangsansan-myeon)."
He further explained, "By locking 50% of each household's water meter, we aim to achieve approximately a 40% water-saving effect per consumer."

As of the morning of the 19th, the water level of Obong Reservoir, a major water source for Gangneung City, was recorded at 21.8%, the lowest since observation began.
This level is only 33.3% of the average water storage. If the current trend continues, it is expected that the reservoir will be completely depleted in just 25 days.
Over the past six months, Gangneung has accumulated only 386.9mm of rainfall, which is less than half of the average of 751.6mm.
Even during nationwide torrential rains and flooding, Gangneung did not receive significant rainfall, leading to the current severe drought.

The effects of the drought are already felt throughout the daily lives of Gangneung's citizens.
In some beach shower facilities, there are notices requesting shower times to be limited to under five minutes, and some places have even removed the faucets entirely.
Local cafes and restaurants are voluntarily participating in the water conservation movement by using bottled water instead of treated water.
Public facilities have also started measures in response to the drought. Three public swimming pools have been closed since the 14th of last month, and public restrooms in the city are only operating on weekends. Additionally, six fountains have stopped operating since June.

The restricted water supply will be implemented by public officials and community leaders visiting each household to obtain consent to lock off half of the water meters.
Gangneung City plans to take action to lock 75% of water meters if the water storage level drops below 15%, and if it falls below 0%, to distribute 2 liters of bottled water per household daily and implement transport water supply throughout the entire region.
Current projections indicate that the water level will fall below 15% around the 28th.
Mayor Kim stated, "We are facing an unprecedented crisis due to the worst drought in history," and expressed deep gratitude for the cooperation of citizens in overcoming the drought, adding, "We will mobilize all administrative power to overcome it."
Regarding the 'Rumor of Discharging Water from Obong Reservoir,' he emphasized, "There have been unverified rumors that Gangneung City discharged water from Obong Reservoir in preparation for heavy rain," stating, "We will respond to the malicious dissemination of false information with a zero-tolerance policy and will pursue legal responsibility if necessary."

Gangneung City is formulating both short-term and long-term measures to address the drought.
In the short term, the plan is to increase water storage by dredging the Damacheon in Wangsang-myeon, while long-term plans include developing large-scale groundwater at Namdaechon to secure more than 10,000 tons of additional water resources by the first half of next year.
Plans are also in place to increase water supply through the duplication of the Yeongok-Hongje water supply pipeline and the smoothing of Obong Reservoir.
Unfortunately, there are no clear forecasts for significant rainfall in the eastern coastal region in the foreseeable future, which is expected to worsen the drought situation.
Image Source: On the afternoon of the 12th, the bottom of Obong Reservoir and nearby rivers in Seongsan-myeon, Gangneung, Gangwon Province, are exposed. On that day, the water level of Obong Reservoir was at 25.4%, and Gangneung City planned to convene a disaster response meeting that afternoon to decide on the activation of the disaster safety headquarters and the implementation of restricted water supply. 2025.8.12 / News1
On the 14th, a banner announcing the indefinite temporary closure due to water shortages is hung at the entrance of the Gangneung Arena swimming pool in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province. Due to the recent prolonged drought, the water level of the main water source, Obong Reservoir, fell to 26.7%. 2025.7.14 / News1
Mayor Kim Hong-kyu of Gangwon, left, and Cho Hyun-soo from the Wonju Regional Environmental Office visited the severely affected Obong Reservoir and Hongje Water Treatment Plant recently to discuss relevant measures. 2025.7.11 / News1
Reference images for better understanding of the article / unsplash