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Nearly 7 out of 10 beaches on East Sea in danger
Nearly half of the 62 sandy beaches in South Korea were found to have been significantly eroded due to reckless development projects and typhoon damage. In particular, coastal areas on the East Sea were in the worst condition. According to research commissioned by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, 44 percent of the environmentally surveyed beaches showed abnormally high levels of erosion. Among the 21 beaches rated as being in ’serious trouble’ were the popular Haeundae and Gwanganri beaches in Busan, as well as Kyeongpodae and Jeongdongjin-ri in Gangwon Province and Kkotji Beach on Anmyeon Island. Among the six beaches in ‘trouble,’ a 1.85-km coastal area in Namhangjin-ri of Gangneung City is being washed away after the construction of a breakwater barrier. A 1.3-km beach area in Samcheok City is being eroded because of the ongoing construction of a port.The erosion of sandy beaches is more worrisome in coastal areas of the East Sea, with a total of 18 sites rated as being in trouble or serious trouble, or nearly 67 percent of the total number of beaches in those categories. Kim Mu-hong, an official at the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, said, “The erosion of coastal areas stems from artificial factors such as the construction of roads or breakwater structures. To uncover the reasons behind it, we are creating a long-term monitoring system,” Kim said.
