S. Korea building Asia's largest floodgate to prevent damage from tsunamis
- 4 years ago
"쓰나미 막는다" 국내 첫 지진해일 방지시설
The Korean Peninsula is not typically an area of high seismic activity but is still vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis in the East Sea.
Now, the country's first tsunami prevention facility is being built on the east coast of Gangwon-do Province.
Park Se-young has more.
At the entrance of Samcheok Port in Gangwon-Province are two concrete pillars soaring 15 stories tall.
Between the pillars, there is a steel sluice gate ...that is 50 meters wide, over seven meters tall ...and weighs 520 tons.
This facility, ...the first in South Korea and the largest in Asia, is being built to prevent damage from tsunamis.
When a tsunami is expected, the floodgates can be lowered to protect the port.
Lowering the floodgates can block waves that are about three-and-a-half meters higher than the normal sea level.
A magnitude 7 earthquake or stronger on the west coast of Japan can cause a tsunami to reach Korea's east coast in one to two hours.
In 1983 and 1993, Samcheok port sustained heavy damage from tsunamis originating from Japan.
"It takes about one minute for every one to one-and-a-half meters. It has a height of 19 meters, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to close entirely."
The Oceans Ministry and Gangwon-do Province will set up an observatory at the top so the floodgates can also be used as a tsunami education center and tourist facility.
The construction of the 40-million-dollar facility is 80 percent complete ...and it is scheduled to be ready for action by next June.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.
The Korean Peninsula is not typically an area of high seismic activity but is still vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis in the East Sea.
Now, the country's first tsunami prevention facility is being built on the east coast of Gangwon-do Province.
Park Se-young has more.
At the entrance of Samcheok Port in Gangwon-Province are two concrete pillars soaring 15 stories tall.
Between the pillars, there is a steel sluice gate ...that is 50 meters wide, over seven meters tall ...and weighs 520 tons.
This facility, ...the first in South Korea and the largest in Asia, is being built to prevent damage from tsunamis.
When a tsunami is expected, the floodgates can be lowered to protect the port.
Lowering the floodgates can block waves that are about three-and-a-half meters higher than the normal sea level.
A magnitude 7 earthquake or stronger on the west coast of Japan can cause a tsunami to reach Korea's east coast in one to two hours.
In 1983 and 1993, Samcheok port sustained heavy damage from tsunamis originating from Japan.
"It takes about one minute for every one to one-and-a-half meters. It has a height of 19 meters, and it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to close entirely."
The Oceans Ministry and Gangwon-do Province will set up an observatory at the top so the floodgates can also be used as a tsunami education center and tourist facility.
The construction of the 40-million-dollar facility is 80 percent complete ...and it is scheduled to be ready for action by next June.
Park Se-young, Arirang News.