본문영역

Water, Nature and Humankind
Natural Meeting
  • Pristine water even up
    to the deep end!
    Kim Tae-won
    Captain of the Daecheongho
    Lake Rescue Team

    • Written by.Choi Hang-jwa
    • Photographed by.Kim Beom-ki
  • As he lives nearby Daecheongho Lake, it has serves as his calling in life. Kim Tae-won, the captain of the Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team, has devoted himself to working as the guardian of Daecheongho Lake to rescue people in need and protect the environment, after realizing that the lake is precious for all people and nature.
The Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team started out as a club and evolved into a volunteer group.

The Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team was founded as a club by Captain Kim Tae-won, who ran a boat rental business, as he has witnessed many water accidents on Daechongho Lake, and then, now it has become a volunteer group to protect both people’s lives and the environment. Its forty odd members began their service only with the sense of duty to “protect both people and the environment”. While conducting various voluntary activities such as lifesaving, salvage of boats, collection of trash from the water and banks, and lending a helping hand in the peak farming season, the team was designated as the rescue team affiliated to the fire department in 2020, and it is actively helping in disaster situations.
As the team is equipped with a speed boat, underwater robot, and drones, the critical underwater equipment can be immediately deployed to Daecheongho Lake and anywhere in the country. The team members have obtained various types of certifications geared to rescue activities. At present, eighteen members have the certification to operate a powered leisure watercraft, and ten members have received first-aid training. In addition, they have other qualifications such as a lifesaving certificate, scuba certificate, survival swimming instructor’s license, and national drone operators’ license. Especially, as ten of them are engaged in this special rescue team, the Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team duly fulfills the primary role of a professional rescue team.
Kim said, “The Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team immediately mobilizes to the scene when they get an urgent report or are alerted to an emergency situation.” The team members’ cohesion has grown closer over the years by putting their own lives at risk and deploying to the scene of accidents together.

Collecting trash from Daecheongho Lake as an environmental cleanup activity

The Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team volunteered to become the guardian of Daecheongho Lake. In 2021, it participated in lifting a grounded helicopter from the Geumgang River, taking a lead role in preventing an aviation oil spill, and it also conducted a search and rescue mission for a drowned person, who was playing in Daecheongho Lake.
Above all, the team is very active in environmental cleanup activities to keep Daecheongho Lake pristine and pass it on to future generations. Members collect trash and rotted trees washed up in the rain from the lake once or twice a week in order to keep water quality from deteriorating before trash and debris decompose. They collect them by hand at every corner of the lake.
Kim said, “I wish people would keep their own trash on their person for disposal into bins, instead of discarding them into the water. It may seem trivial, but it would make a big difference if everybody pitches in through small actions for the sake of our environment.”
As all kinds of waste including plastics, industrial wastes, agricultural chemical bottles, waste tires, and polystyrene are found from the lake, members often dive underwater for the recovery of scuttled boats many times.
He also said, “We have collected about 50tons of trash from the water for last three years, and about 100 tons of trash are collected from Geumgang River annually through the river waste collection project with residents’ autonomy. 80percent of the collected garbage are rotted wood/ trees and the remaining 20percent are everyday trash or debris. If the rotted wood/ trees are not retrieved, they will sink to the bottom of the water when it rains, and can cause pollution of the water. So, we clear them up in advance. Although environmental cleanup activities are not easy, but it’s very rewarding!”
The special members of the Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team dive into the water to get rid of water-borne trash and debris, which are inaccessible to ordinary people.
The water of Daecheongho Lake has a bad visibility, being murkier than rivers and seas. When you reach 5m deep, you cannot see an inch ahead, and the water is 50 m deep at a maximum. It is a high-level task to collect water-borne trash/ debris by fumbling around with poor visibility.
He said, “It is possible because we work together as a well-coordinated team. I am so grateful to and proud of our team members who devote themselves to activities beyond volunteer service.”

“I wish people would keep their own trash on their person for disposal into bins, instead of discarding them into the water. It may seem trivial, but it would make a big difference if everybody pitches in through small actions for the sake of our environment.”
Actual practice is important for environmental protection.

Captain Kim Tae-won is not only the leader of a volunteer group bult also an environmentalist. He said that when he introduces the Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team to people, even though it’s their first time to learn of such a group, they show high interest for participating in activities. Kim Tae-won has a “good influence” on the people around him. He knows that if he doesn’t take initiative and lead by example, his sincerity wouldn’t come across to others in emphasizing the importance of protecting the environment, so he always practices what he preaches above all.
He said, “I hope that there will be many occasions to reflect on the accumulation of everyday trash in our life and put everyday environmental friendly acts into practice. On weekends, many people enjoy Daecheongho Lake for recreation, but I hope that they can keep their trash on their person, rather than throwing litter into the water. It may seem very trivial, but everyone’s contribution counts in making small changes for the sake of our environment.”
Kim Tae-won, who dives underwater with low visibility to do volunteer service, wears a wetsuit and heads towards Daecheongho Lake today in order to fulfill his dream of creating Korea’s best rescue team.

※ This interview was conducted in accordance with the COVID-19 safety rules.
Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team

Founded as a nonprofit organization affiliated to the Chungcheongbuk-do Fire Department in 2020, the Daecheongho Lake Rescue Team is a volunteer group to save nature and people. It conducts various activities such as lifesaving and is deployed to Daecheongho Lake and other national disaster scenes, collecting wastes and abandoned trees and lifting a boat from the water and banks to improve the water quality condition of the lake.
Address: 60-1 Bangasil-gil Gunbuk-myeon, Okcheon-gun, Chungcheongbuk-do
Tel.: 043-731-0119
Website: www.dcrescue.or.kr