Jogye Order Provides 70 Tons of Emergency Bottled Water to Drought-Stricken Gangneung

Handover Ceremony Held at Gangneung City Hall on September 8

The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism announced on September 9 that it had provided an emergency supply of 70 tons of bottled water to the Gangneung area, which was declared a "natural disaster zone" due to severe drought. The handover ceremony took place at Gangneung City Hall on the afternoon of September 8.

Sangyoung Kim, Deputy Mayor of Gangneung (third from the left), and representatives of the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism are taking a commemorative photo. Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism

Currently, the Gangneung region has received less than half of its average rainfall over the past six months, and the water storage rate at Obong Dam has dropped to its lowest level on record. This worst-ever drought is causing significant difficulties for residents in their daily lives. The emergency supply of bottled water was prepared to support citizens struggling with shortages of household and agricultural water due to the prolonged drought.

The handover ceremony was attended by Sangyoung Kim, Deputy Mayor of Gangneung; Ven. Beopoh, Executive Director of The Beautiful Companion; Ven. Deogeun, Secretary-General of the Jogye Order Social Welfare Foundation; Ven. Seolam, President of the Gangneung Buddhist Temple Association; Ven. Deogeom of Woljeongsa Temple; and Ven. Hwaehyeon of Gwaneumsa Temple at Gangneung Propagation Center.

Ven. Beopoh, Executive Director of The Beautiful Companion, stated, "I hope the drought in Gangneung will be resolved soon so that the lives of citizens can quickly return to stability."

Ven. Deogeun, Secretary-General of the Social Welfare Foundation, said, "I hope this small contribution will help the citizens of Gangneung, who are suffering from the worst drought in 108 years. The foundation will continue to do its utmost to be the first to care for and support neighbors in need."

Sangyoung Kim, Deputy Mayor of Gangneung, expressed his gratitude, saying, "I deeply appreciate the support from the Jogye Order and will ensure that the bottled water is delivered to citizens."

A Jogye Order official stated, "Our order is committed to ensuring the safety of the community in the face of increasingly frequent and severe climate crisis disasters caused by global warming, and we will continue to actively participate in and share support at disaster sites in the future."