Jeju Samdasoo's Groundwater Formation Age Identified as "31 Years"... Published in Leading International Water Resources Journal

Formation Age Recalculated as 31 Years Through Seven-Year Long-Term Monitoring and Multi-Tracer Analysis
Proving the Purity of Jeju Samdasoo's Water Source

Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Development Corporation, which produces and sells Jeju Samdasoo, announced on December 17 that a study identifying the official "formation age" of Jeju Samdasoo as 31 years has been published in the November 2025 issue of the Journal of Hydrology, the leading international academic journal in the field of water resources.

This study precisely recalculated the formation age of Jeju groundwater, previously estimated at about 18 years in the 2001 "Comprehensive Survey of Hydrological Geology and Groundwater Resources" in Jeju, using the latest monitoring data and scientific techniques. It is rare for the bottled water industry to scientifically identify the formation age, and this is considered an important indicator demonstrating Jeju Samdasoo's competitive quality and the transparency of its water source management.

Jeju Development Corporation, in collaboration with Professor Yoon Sungtaek's research team from the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Korea University, conducted an integrated analysis of stable isotopes, environmental tracers, and hydrochemical data collected over seven years (2016-2020 and 2022-2023) from precipitation and groundwater. This analysis was used to estimate the recharge altitude, flow path, and residence time of the groundwater.

Stable isotopes are used to determine the altitude at which rainwater infiltrates, while environmental tracers analyze trace substances in groundwater to estimate the movement characteristics and pathways of the water. The research team applied these data to an age model for groundwater, comprehensively identifying the formation process and hydrological characteristics of Jeju Samdasoo.

By cross-verifying multiple environmental tracer data and applying them to the age model, the study confirmed that the rainwater forming the source of Jeju Samdasoo is recharged at altitudes above 1,450 meters within Hallasan National Park, and the average residence time of the groundwater was calculated to be approximately 31 years.

This scientifically proves that rainwater falling on Hallasan undergoes a natural purification process for over 30 years before becoming the source water for Jeju Samdasoo. The "31-year" formation age is the longest among domestically produced bottled water, supporting the stability of Jeju Samdasoo's water source and its premium quality competitiveness.

Additionally, a statistical analysis of the hydrochemical data from groundwater near the intake source confirmed the flow from high-altitude recharge areas free from external pollutants, and the intake aquifer was found to maintain a highly stable water quality environment.

Baek Kyunghoon, President of Jeju Development Corporation, stated, "Recalculating the formation age of Jeju Samdasoo using the latest scientific techniques and publishing it in an international journal is part of our efforts to make water source information more transparent and to strengthen quality reliability. Based on the natural filtration process spanning 31 years and AI-based predictive technologies, we will responsibly manage Jeju groundwater and always provide consumers with water they can trust."