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After drought, donated water goes to waste in Gangneung

Published: 30 Oct. 2025, 14:10

Cases of bottled water donated from across the country during a severe drought in Gangneung, Gangwon, sit exposed to sunlight in an outdoor parking lot in Gangneung, where they have been left unattended for nearly a month, on Oct. 30. [YONHAP]

In Gangneung, the Gangwon city once hit by its worst drought in years, donated bottled water now sits neglected in outdoor parking lots, exposed to the sun.

At one site, about 960 bundles containing 60 packs each and 660 bundles with 80 packs each — six bottles per pack — were stacked high like walls, according to a Yonhap report on Thursday.

Many of the packages have been torn open and left exposed to direct sunlight, a far cry from the cool, shaded conditions recommended to prevent degradation.

A total of 10,663,081 bottles of water, in both 2-liter (68-ounce) and half-liter sizes, had been sent to Gangneung from across the country as of Oct. 17, according to the Gangwon provincial government.

The city distributed the water, sent to the stricken city from around the country, in several phases. In the first round, each resident received six 2-liter bottles. During the height of the drought in mid-September, apartment residents received three six-packs per person, while nonapartment residents received two.

Additional rounds of distribution followed for social welfare centers, hospitals, students from outside the city, foreign students and workers, daycare centers, infants under 24 months and small business owners.

In total, residents received 9,593,965 bottles, leaving about 1,069,116 bottles undistributed.

Gangneung declared a citywide disaster on Aug. 30, but lifted it at 6 p.m. on Sept. 22 after heavy rainfall on Sept. 19 raised the Obong Reservoir’s water levels. With the drought over, much of the donated water has been left unused, sitting outdoors for nearly a month.

Some residents have even sold their donated bottled water on secondhand markets, drawing public criticism.

“It’s disheartening to see the bottled water that people from all over the country sent during the drought now just sitting outside like that,” one Gangneung resident said.

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 SHIN HYE-YEON [[email protected]]