"Even Adults Used to Swim Here"... Valleys Completely Dried Up

[Anchor]

With intense heatwaves starting last week and weeks of no rain, drought damage is spreading across the Busan and Gyeongnam regions. Valleys have dried up to expose their beds, and crops are withering on parched land.

KNN reporter Kim Min-sung has the story.

[Reporter]

The waterway at a valley in Busan has completely dried up.

Only dry rocks fill the areas around the stagnant puddles.

Vacationers who went out of their way to take a dip are forced to turn back.

[Moon Sung-won, Joo Se-hwan / Vacationers: There used to be plenty of water, but now there is none so we cannot play. (We do not know where to go.)]

A waterfall in Gimhae, Gyeongnam, has also stopped flowing and is reduced to stagnant pools.

The valley floor is exposed and muddy.

At this valley frequently visited by summer vacationers, a warning sign instructs people not to dive, but stepping into the water shows it only reaches adult ankle height.

[Choi Sook-ja / Daecheong-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam: I think this is the first time in several years that the water has dried up like this. The waterfall used to be so full that both children and adults could swim.]

Nearby merchants complain that more than half of the vacationers have disappeared.

[Choi Dong-seok / Head of Shop Village, Gimhae, Gyeongnam: Almost everyone who made (pension) reservations is canceling. (Restaurants) hired extra staff expecting guests to arrive in advance, and now we are worried about paying their wages.]

At a sweet persimmon farm, water is pumped into the dry soil day and night.

Even so, the leaves quickly wither.

The persimmons have also been scorched red by the blazing sun.

[Jin Young-shim / Sweet Persimmon Farmer: Even though we water them every day, the soil dries up so completely that the leaves wilt, and watering is practically useless.]

Last month, precipitation in Busan and Gyeongnam averaged 60 mm, remaining at just 20% of normal levels.

The Korea Meteorological Administration forecasted that Busan and Gyeongnam may receive a small amount of rain this weekend due to the indirect effects of Typhoon Dolphin.

(Video by Jeon Jae-hyun / KNN)

Kim Min-sung, KNN

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