"Please Don't Get Angry Asking When Water Will Be Restored," Gangneung Hotel Employee Pleads

Flood of Inquiries Over Gangneung Drought
"Even Staff Don't Know When It Will Rain... Please Don't Get Angry"

On the 9th, amid a series of water outages caused by the worst drought in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, a local household goods store in the city is gathering and selling essential items for restricted water use. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

An employee at a hotel in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, expressed difficulties, saying that the hotel has been receiving a continuous stream of customer inquiries related to the ongoing drought.

On the 8th, a post titled "I work at a hotel in Gangneung. I sincerely ask for your understanding" drew attention on an online community. The author, identified as an employee at a hotel near Gyeongpo Lake in Gangneung, wrote, "Recently, many people who had planned trips to Gangneung are calling with concerns that their trips might be affected by the drought."

The employee added, "I understand that people are calling because they are anxious, and I am doing my best to respond," and appealed, "But please, do not take your frustration out on us. I am sincerely asking for your understanding."

He continued, "When staff members share the calls, 15 out of 20 are related to the drought, and 10 of those callers are already angry when they call," and explained, "It's not as if the hotel drove the rain away. The staff also have no idea when the water will be restored." He went on to say, "Some customers ask whether there will be water available 15 days from now when they check in, but how could an ordinary citizen of Gangneung possibly know that? We only find out by watching the news, just like everyone else."

The employee also said, "While it's understandable to ask the hotel, it is unreasonable to get angry because we cannot predict whether there will be water in the future," and added, "People always insist on knowing the names of staff and managers, but is it because you want to hold us accountable for not being able to predict the weather?"

He further stated, "How could a single citizen of Gangneung possibly know whether all the nearby restaurants, markets, and tourist attractions will be open or closed two weeks from now?" and pleaded, "Please, act with common sense and courtesy. Hotel employees are neither perpetrators nor fortune-tellers."

In response to the hotel employee's difficulties, online commenters expressed sympathy, saying, "Hotels are also suffering losses due to the drought, so why take it out on them?" and "There are too many people who have not learned basic manners." Some also criticized the rude behavior of customers. One commenter pointed out, "There are things that can be resolved with common sense and things that cannot, but some people believe that getting angry will force a solution," and added, "It's rude to take out your frustration on innocent front-line employees."

On the 9th day since the declaration of a "disaster situation" due to an unprecedented drought, a merchant in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, is using a rubber basin to save dishwashing water on the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News

Obong Reservoir Water Level at 12.3%... Drought Continues in Gangneung

Gangneung, where a drought disaster situation was declared on August 30, continues to experience severe drought conditions. The water level at Obong Reservoir, the city's main water source, has fallen below 15%, prompting the implementation of water use restrictions and causing significant inconvenience for residents in their daily lives. There are also concerns about losses for self-employed workers in the restaurant and tourism industries due to the drought.

According to the Korea Rural Community Corporation's Rural Water Information System, as of the 9th, the water level at Obong Reservoir stands at 12.3%. This is a decrease of 0.1 percentage points compared to the previous day. Gangwon Province has provisionally analyzed that if the decline in water levels continues, the remaining water in Obong Reservoir will only be sufficient for use until the 30th of this month.