The water level of the Obong Reservoir in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, has been recording its lowest levels ever since the bottom has been exposed, while a vehicle buried 20 years ago due to flooding has been discovered.
According to the Gangwon Fire Department and others, a Tico passenger car buried in the slope of the Obong Reservoir was discovered at around 5:32 p.m. the previous day. There was no one inside the vehicle. A local government official passing through the area for drought relief work found it and reported it to the emergency services.
Investigations by the police revealed that the vehicle owner had died in September 2003. The vehicle was not found at that time, and it is presumed that it was submerged due to Typhoon Maemi, which later struck the Gangneung area. The police are investigating the circumstances of the incident, noting that they do not believe there is any criminal connection.
Currently, Gangneung is facing severe drought, making it difficult to supply water for daily use, and the government declared Gangneung a disaster area on the 30th of last month.