Two People Stung at Haeundae Beach
On the 27th, a district office official installed a jellyfish barrier net at Gwangalli Beach in Suyeong District, Busan. Photo by Yonhap News
With the peak summer vacation season approaching, Busan's beaches are on high alert due to jellyfish.
At Haeundae Beach, which opened last weekend, there have been a series of jellyfish sting incidents. On June 26 and 27, a male teenager and a man in his twenties were each stung by jellyfish and received on-site treatment.
However, due to ongoing conflicts between the contracted company and the local fishing community, the jellyfish barrier net at Haeundae has not yet been installed. The jellyfish barrier net is a protective facility that stretches 1.2 kilometers from Dongbaek Island to Mipo, shielding beachgoers with a net in the sea.
Haeundae District Office originally planned to complete the installation by the end of this month with a budget of 190 million won. However, the company selected last month abandoned the project earlier this month, citing conflicts with the local fishing community, which caused delays in the schedule.
The district office recently selected another company through a new bidding process, but the conflict with the fishing community continues. Haeundae District Office stated, "The installation of the barrier net is expected to be completed around the middle of next month, as it is progressing later than planned."
On the same day, Suyeong District in Busan installed a jellyfish control net at Gwangalli Beach ahead of its opening on July 1.
According to the Busan Fire and Disaster Headquarters, jellyfish sting incidents at Haeundae Beach surged from 68 cases in 2022 to 112 cases last year.
The National Institute of Fisheries Science has issued a jellyfish advisory for the waters off Busan and South Gyeongsang Province and is strengthening monitoring in areas where damage is a concern.
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