Gangneung in Gangwon Province is suffering from severe drought. As of the 27th, the reservoir level of O bong Reservoir, a main water source for Gangneung residents, dropped to 16.4%. The reservoir level refers to the ratio of the amount of water currently stored to the total capacity that can be held by the reservoir. Due to a lack of rainfall, the reservoir level has reached a record low. The city of Gangneung is implementing a restricted water supply, closing 50% of the household water meters.
Minister Yoon Ho-jung visited the O bong Reservoir in Gangneung on the 27th and held an emergency meeting with relevant agencies. Minister Yoon noted at the meeting, "I observed the site of O bong Reservoir, and just from its dry appearance, I could feel that the drought situation in Gangneung City is serious."
Minister Yoon urged Gangneung to install pumps and other equipment to utilize the Namdaecheon water and the dead water volume (the water level usable at the lowest intake level to the bottom of the reservoir). He also requested efforts to secure alternative water sources, including supplying water from the nearby Doam Dam, and asked for support in water trucks and water tanks owned by the Ministry of National Defense and the National Fire Agency. On this day, the Korea Water Resources Corporation donated 10,000 bottled waters.
Minister Yoon stated, "The government will focus all its efforts on drought response to help the residents experiencing inconveniences quickly recover their daily lives."