South Korea Deploys 200 Water Tankers as South Gyeongsang Drought Worsens

On Thursday, August 13, firefighting water tankers and military vehicles from across South Korea were deployed to South Gyeongsang Province to provide water as drought conditions in the southeastern region worsened.

The South Gyeongsang Fire Headquarters said that, following a nationwide order issued Tuesday to mobilize firefighting resources, fire authorities deployed 200 water tankers and around 400 personnel from various parts of the country to deliver water to the province.

Fourteen additional vehicles from the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Korea Forest Service are also helping transport water to farms and households affected by the drought.

According to ANTARA, as of 6 p.m. local time on Wednesday, authorities had distributed nearly 4,770 tons of water across the province.

The situation worsened after all 18 administrative areas in South Gyeongsang Province officially declared drought conditions on Thursday. Hamyang County, which had previously been the only area unaffected, is now under a drought warning.

The average water storage level across the province’s 18 areas has fallen to 32.8 percent, well below the long-term average of 70.8 percent. The National Fire Agency has issued a second nationwide mobilization order to help address the worsening drought in South Korea.

A similar mobilization order was first issued in August 2025 for the eastern coastal city of Gangneung.

Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2117451/south-korea-rushes-200-water-trucks-to-drought-hit-south-gyeongsang