Sandy coastlines are under threat of erosion.
70 percent of local sandy coastline has already shown signs of erosion, a situation that could be made worse by climate change and indiscriminate development.
There is a strong need for the design and implementation of effective adaptive measures, but there are currently no efforts to mitigate the problem.
Joseph Kim reports.

This is (하모) Hamo Beach in (대정읍) Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo.
The beach had been famous for its fine sand, but the sandy beach has experienced erosion over a decade.
Sand traps installed to protect the coast have been destroyed and left unattended.


Repeated sand loss and coastal erosion forced the beach to close for safety reasons.
The beach has lost its function as a destination for holidaymakers.
Unfortunately, (하모) Hamo is not the only beach suffering from erosion.

According to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the erosion rate of the local sandy coast is 72.7 percent.


That’s the fourth highest in the nation following (울산) Ulsan and (부산) Busan.

Among 11 monitoring locations in Jeju, 8 spots have been classified at alarming or serious levels.


Global warming affects most coastlines through inundation and increased erosion.
Indiscriminate development near beaches has exacerbated the change in the shoreline.


However, the province is sitting on its hands while the coast line is quickly being damaged.
No monitoring has been in place and no countermeasures have been established at the local government level.


As local sandy beaches are under constant change, systemic measures to mitigate the erosion are required based on the results of monitoring.

Joseph Kim, KCTV