Gangwon Province Achieves 33% Reduction in Water Safety Fatalities Despite Record Number of Summer Vacationers

Gangwon Province Achieves First Year of Zero Fatalities
in Managed Water Recreation Areas through Implementation of the 2025 Comprehensive Summer Water Safety Plan
A Safe Summer Realized

Despite facing record-breaking heat waves and an unprecedented number of summer vacationers, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jin-tae) achieved a remarkable reduction in summer water safety fatalities through systematic water safety management measures.

A view of Gangwon Provincial Government Building. Provided by Gangwon Provincial Government.

On November 5, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province announced that, although the number of visitors to rivers, valleys, and beaches in the province during this summer season reached the highest level since the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of water safety fatalities was tallied at 10, representing a 33% decrease from the previous year (2024), which saw 15 cases.

Particularly noteworthy is that during the opening periods of the 423 managed river and valley recreation areas and 86 beaches, not a single fatal accident occurred. This marks the first year on record with zero fatalities in these areas, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Water Recreation Safety Accident Review Committee officially notified the province of this achievement following the final review on October 30.

The average temperature during this summer was 25.7°C, higher than last year’s 25.6°C, marking the highest on record. With the heatwave continuing into early September and the number of beach visitors increasing by 11.3% compared to 2024, this achievement is attributed to the successful implementation of the regionally tailored “2025 Comprehensive Summer Water Safety Plan.”

The main elements of the “2025 Comprehensive Summer Water Safety Plan” included pre-season preparations (from May 1 to May 30), such as advance inspections of 423 water recreation management areas, replacement of outdated safety signs and facilities, expansion of free life jacket rental stations, inspection of 2,346 early warning and alert facilities, and training for water safety personnel.

Considering that the heat persisted into September, the province extended the safety management period by one month compared to the previous year, designating the four months from June 1 to September 30 as the water safety accident response period. During this time, 1,338 safety personnel (675 for inland waters and 663 for coastal waters) were deployed to major rivers, valleys, and beaches. In addition, local governments actively utilized village early warning and alert systems to broadcast safety promotions and prevent accidents.

Furthermore, the peak season from July 15 to August 17 was designated as a special response period. During this time, special inspection teams were organized to conduct intensive safety checks and promote life jacket use at major water recreation sites and facilities in collaboration with the 17 cities and counties, focusing these efforts on weekends.

Meanwhile, analysis of this year’s water safety operations revealed that all 10 fatal accidents occurred in unmanaged waterfront areas where no safety personnel were present. In response, the province plans to further strengthen water safety accident reduction measures next year by increasing the budget for deploying safety management personnel to unmanaged waterfront areas and expanding the designation of dedicated municipal and county officials responsible for these areas.

Yeo Jung-hyup, Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, stated, “Despite the prolonged summer heat this year, we were able to achieve a reduction in accidents and record the first year of zero fatalities in managed water recreation areas, thanks to systematic water safety measures implemented in collaboration with the province, local governments, the Coast Guard, and other relevant agencies. Next year, we will continue to provide a safe environment for water recreation to both domestic and international visitors to Gangwon’s summer destinations.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.