Speaks Out on Gangneung's Water Supply Normalization While in Detention
"Though I Am Not There, My Heart Is Always with Gangneung"
Kwon Seongdong, a member of the People Power Party representing Gangneung City in Gangwon Province, expressed relief following the lifting of water rationing at Obong Reservoir due to the recovery of water levels.
Kwon Seongdong, a member of the People Power Party who has been pointed out as the starting point of the "religious-political collusion" between the Yoon Sukyeol government and the Unification Church, is heading to Seoul Detention Center after completing the pre-arrest suspect hearing (warrant review) held at the Seoul Central District Court in Seocho-gu, Seoul on the 16th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
On September 19, through his personal Facebook page, Kwon stated, "I was pleased to hear that the water storage rate at Obong Reservoir has recovered thanks to the welcome rainfall, and that the time-based water rationing has been lifted after 14 days. I am most delighted to know that this has eased the daily lives of our citizens, and I share in that relief."
He continued, "I sincerely thank the citizens who endured inconveniences and participated in water conservation efforts. I also deeply appreciate the Gangneung City officials, military and fire department personnel who worked on-site, as well as everyone who provided various forms of support."
Although currently under arrest and detained, Kwon expressed his position on local issues, stating, "Even though I cannot be with you at this moment, my heart is always with Gangneung. Regardless of the political situation, I hope the commitment to fundamentally resolve Gangneung's water shortage crisis will remain unwavering."
On the 20th, citizens are looking at Obong Reservoir in Seongsan-myeon, Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, where the water level is rising. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
On the afternoon of September 19, Gangneung City fully lifted the time-based water rationing for local apartment complexes as the water storage rate at Obong Reservoir showed signs of recovery. Due to recent rainfall, the storage rate increased by 11.3 percentage points in a single day, from 28.1% to 39.4%. This marks the first time in 50 days, since August 2, that the rate has returned to the 30% range.
With Gangneung City deciding to normalize tap water supply after a meeting with apartment representatives, the morning and evening water rationing that had lasted for 14 days ended at 6 p.m. on September 19. However, water-saving measures such as locking individual household water meters will remain in place.
Approximately 80mm of rainfall was recorded in the Gangneung area from September 19 to the morning of September 20, and an additional 5 to 30mm is forecast by September 21, so the storage rate is expected to rise further.
Meanwhile, Kwon was arrested on September 16 on charges of receiving 100 million won in illegal political funds from the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification (Unification Church) ahead of the 2022 presidential election and is currently detained at Seoul Detention Center. This is the first time an incumbent National Assembly member has been arrested since the beginning of the Lee Jaemyung administration.
Kwon reportedly denied all charges during the pre-arrest warrant review.
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