448,000 Bottles, 6,260 kg, 37,000 People... Hope Bridge Concludes Relief Efforts in Drought-Stricken Gangneung

Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association is loading water onto trucks at the Paju Disaster Relief Logistics Center to support Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, which is experiencing severe water shortages. Hope Bridge

Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association (President Lim Chaecheong) announced on September 24 that it would conclude its relief activities in Gangneung, as the disaster declaration for the region, which had been suffering from a severe drought, was lifted at 6:00 p.m. on September 22.

As the water level at Obong Reservoir, the main water source for Gangneung City, fell below 15%, there was a serious disruption in the supply of water for daily use. In response, the government declared a disaster at 7:00 p.m. on August 30 and issued a nationwide fire department mobilization order, deploying fire trucks from across the country and launching a government-wide response.

Hope Bridge provided emergency bottled water support even before the disaster was officially declared, as the local residents were facing a critical shortage of drinking water. In cooperation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and sponsoring companies, Hope Bridge urgently supplied a total of 448,628 bottles of water to Gangneung City, including 239,420 bottles of 500ml water and 209,208 bottles of 2-liter water.

A volunteer from Hope Bridge is washing collected laundry inside a mobile laundry relief vehicle. Hope Bridge

As the drought persisted, Hope Bridge urgently dispatched a 5.5-ton special-purpose vehicle to assist welfare centers and nursing homes in Gangneung City, where laundry had become difficult. The laundry relief operation was conducted for 12 days from September 12 to September 23 at the Youth Marine Training Center in Jumunjin, Gangneung City. Because the activity site and welfare facilities were far apart, Hope Bridge volunteers visited 23 facilities, collected laundry, washed and dried it, and then delivered it back. By September 23, Hope Bridge had processed a total of 6,260 kilograms of laundry, including clothing and bedding.

In addition to emergency relief activities, Hope Bridge launched the "Send 100 Bottles of Water" relay fundraising campaign to help Gangneung citizens overcome the drought. The campaign encouraged donations by allowing a contribution of 30,000 won to provide 100 bottles of water. One hundred bottles of water are enough for a family of four to drink for one week.

Secretary General Shin Hoon of the National Disaster Relief Association (left) and Dongyul Kim, Administrative Director of Gangneung City, are taking a photo at Gangneung City Hall on the afternoon of the 3rd during a bottled water delivery ceremony to overcome the drought. Hope Bridge

More than 37,000 people participated in the campaign, including renowned stars such as writer Kim Eunsook, CEO Yoon Harim, and professional gamer Chovy (Jung Jihun), as well as the general public through the Hope Bridge website and the online fundraising platform Kakao Together Value. The campaign will continue until September 30.

Shin Hoon, Secretary General of Hope Bridge, stated, "Hope Bridge will always be the first to rush to the side of disaster victims when they need it most, and we will stay with them until their daily lives are restored."