Hello, this is 속초어때 (Sokcho Eottae). It's Monday, September 21, 8 PM, and Sokcho (속초) is clear at 20°C. Today's high is 23°C, tonight's low is 17°C, and the chance of rain is 26%. The sea temperature is 23.2°C, and waves are calm at 0.7 m. The Chuseok holiday (September 24–27) is three days away, and even in the evening the Daepo Port (대포항) observatory is 'Very Crowded,' with slow traffic on the coastal and downtown sections of Donghae-daero (동해대로).
Today, instead of festivals or restaurants, we'd like to tell a slightly different story. It's about where the water coming out of the taps in Sokcho's homes, lodgings, and raw fish restaurants right now actually comes from. This week, Sokcho City secured 16.9 billion KRW in national funding through a Ministry of the Interior and Safety competition, and both projects are related to 'water.'
Where does Sokcho's tap water come from? 87% from the Ssangcheon underground dams
Most of Sokcho's tap water comes from the Ssangcheon Stream (쌍천), which flows down from Seoraksan (설악산). The problem is that Ssangcheon is a short, steep stream. When it rains, the water quickly drains into the sea, and in dry seasons water easily runs short. That is why Sokcho went through water rationing eight times between 1992 and 2018.
The solution built to address this was the underground dam. It works by building a wall (cutoff wall) underground to hold back groundwater that would otherwise flow out to sea.
- Ssangcheon Underground Dam No. 1: Completed in 1998, secures about 16,000 tons per day
- Ssangcheon Underground Dam No. 2: Construction began after the 2018 drought and was completed in 2021; cutoff wall about 1.1–1.2 km long, average height 7.7 m, secures an additional 7,000 tons per day, stores up to about 630,000 tons
Currently, the Ssangcheon underground dams account for 87% of Sokcho City's total water supply. In short, if the Ssangcheon underground dams falter, Sokcho's water supply falters.
Last year Gangneung's water was cut off, but Sokcho held out
When a severe drought hit the Yeongdong region last summer (2025), Gangneung (강릉), just to the south, suffered serious water shortages. Sokcho, also in Yeongdong, supplied water stably and even sent 600 tons of water per day to Gangneung.
There were reasons beyond the two underground dams. Sokcho City increased its bedrock wells from 5 to 20, securing an additional 23,300 tons per day, and repaired aging water pipes, reducing leaks by 1.3 million tons per year. Thanks to this, the water pipe efficiency (revenue water ratio) rose from 59.3% to 92.4%. This means that in the past, nearly 40% of the water produced at the water treatment plant leaked into the ground, so this figure was arguably the biggest change.
Where will the newly secured 16.9 billion KRW be used?
Two of Sokcho City's projects were selected in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's '2027 New Projects for Special Situation Area Development in Border Regions' competition. This follows last year, when the city received 21 billion KRW in national funding for 2026 projects (6 projects, the most in the country), making it two years in a row.
① Replacing the 48-year-old raw water pipeline: 5.1 km from the Ssangcheon Intake Station to the Sokcho Water Treatment Plant
- Project name: Safe Drinking Water Supply System Construction Project
- Total project cost: 15 billion KRW (national funding 10.5 billion KRW)
- Details: New raw water pipeline, 900 mm in diameter and 5.1 km long, from the Ssangcheon Intake Station (쌍천취수장) to the Sokcho Water Treatment Plant (속초정수장)
- Period: Through 2030
The raw water pipeline currently in use was laid in 1978. This year marks its 48th year. The raw water pipeline is the 'main water route' that carries water drawn at the intake station to the treatment plant, so if it bursts, water going to the treatment plant could be cut off all at once. This is a risk on a completely different level from a leaking household pipe. Once the new pipeline is built, there will be one more route to send water even if the existing pipeline has a problem.
② Restoring the performance of Ssangcheon Underground Dam No. 1: adding a 530 m cutoff wall
- Project name: Ssangcheon Underground Dam No. 1 Function Restoration Project
- Total project cost: 9.2 billion KRW (national funding 6.4 billion KRW)
- Details: Installation of an additional 530 m cutoff wall
- Effect: An additional average of about 15,000 tons of water intake per day
Dam No. 1, built in 1998, has lost some of its ability to hold water over time. Reinforcing the cutoff wall will allow an additional 15,000 tons per day to be drawn, which is more than double the amount newly created by Dam No. 2 (7,000 tons per day). Once both projects are complete, Sokcho City expects to be able to stably supply about 39,000 tons of raw water per day.
Why this story, right before Chuseok?
Sokcho's water usage isn't determined by its population alone. When tourists flock in, showers at lodgings, dishwashing at restaurants, and seawater and water use at the seafood markets all increase at once. Just this evening, 켄싱턴호텔 설악 (Kensington Hotel Seorak) and 마레몬스 호텔 (Maremons Hotel) are 'Crowded,' and Sinheungsa Temple (신흥사) (Seoraksan) is also 'Crowded.' Once the holiday begins, more places like these will be added.
There is no news of any water shortage right now. However, it's worth knowing that Sokcho was never originally a water-rich city, and that today's stability is the result of underground dams, wells, and water pipe repairs. Sokcho Eottae chose this story today because these projects are an investment in 'the most important infrastructure that you usually don't see.'
Practical tips for residents and travelers today
- Check for leaks before the holiday: If you're leaving home to visit your hometown, turn off all the taps and check whether the meter's star dial (small needle) is spinning. If it is spinning, water is leaking somewhere. Leaks during the holiday increase your bill and also affect the whole city's revenue water ratio.
- Report water leaking on the road: If you see water continuously bubbling up or pooling on the street, please let Sokcho City's water and sewage department know. Sokcho's 92% revenue water ratio is also a number built up from reports like these.
- Take short showers at your lodging: This is the easiest thing travelers can do. When washing off sand after returning from the beach, washing all at once in your lodging's bathroom instead of at the beach shower uses less water.
- Keep up with construction news: The new raw water pipeline is a project running through 2030. The construction start date and traffic controls for the construction section have not yet been announced. Once confirmed, road use along the Ssangcheon Intake Station–Sokcho Water Treatment Plant section may be affected, so check city announcements.
Sokcho this evening: useful information to check together
- Weather: Clear at 20°C, night low of 17°C. Good weather for an evening walk, but the beach breeze is cool, so bring a light jacket.
- Sea: Water temperature 23.2°C, waves 0.7 m. The beaches have already closed for the season and there are no lifeguards, so please refrain from going into the sea at night.
- Crowds: Daepo Port observatory is 'Very Crowded.' If you want somewhere quiet, Cheongchoho Lake (청초호) or the Oeongchi Port (외옹치항) area, both 'Normal,' are better.
- Traffic: Misiryeong-ro (미시령로) (toward Seoul) and Seoraksan-ro (설악산로) are flowing smoothly; Donghae-daero (coastal and downtown) is slow. If you're heading up to Seoul tonight, traffic flow is fairly good once you get out of the downtown section.
- Holiday preparation: There are two weekdays left before the Chuseok holiday: tomorrow (the 22nd) and the day after (the 23rd). Finish any government office or banking business before then.
In summary
87% of Sokcho's tap water comes from the Ssangcheon underground dams. A city that went through water rationing eight times between 1992 and 2018 has changed so much that during last year's drought it was able to share water with neighboring Gangneung. With the 16.9 billion KRW in national funding secured this time, the 48-year-old raw water pipeline will be replaced with a new 5.1 km line, and the cutoff wall of Dam No. 1 will be reinforced by 530 m, securing an additional 15,000 tons per day. It's not a change you'll notice right away, but these are projects to make sure water comes out when you turn on the tap, even during future summer peak seasons or droughts.
Today we looked at where Sokcho's tap water comes from and where the newly secured 16.9 billion KRW will be used. Did you find it helpful? We'll be back next time with even more useful information.
