Daecheong Dam

Spanning the Geum River between Daejeon and Cheongju, Daecheong Dam supplies water to much of central Korea and created Daecheong Lake, where wooded hilltops float like islands. A look from the dam crest, the Water Culture Center and the observatory, followed by a stroll in the riverside park, makes a good half-day outing.

History: a dam against floods and droughts

The dam was planned from the late 1960s to stop recurring floods and droughts and to secure a stable water supply. Work began in March 1975; sources differ on completion, giving 1980 or 1981. The name joins the first syllables of the two counties of the time, Daedeok and Cheongwon. Creating the lake displaced 4,075 households, about 26,000 people, who left their villages for new homes.

The dam in numbers

• 72 m high and 495 m long, it combines a concrete gravity section with a rock-fill embankment.
• Total storage is 1.49 billion m³, making Daecheong Lake the third largest reservoir in Korea by volume, after Soyang Lake and Chungju Lake.
• A 90 MW hydroelectric plant is attached, and the reservoir supplies domestic and industrial water to Daejeon, Cheongju and as far as Jeonju and Gunsan in the Honam region.

What to see

• The dam and its spillway: after heavy rain, the open gates send out a thundering white cascade.
• Daecheong Dam Water Culture Center: opened in 2004, it covers the dam, the uses of water, the Geum River environment and the people whose villages were flooded. Admission is free.
• Daecheong Dam Observatory: on the Cheongju side in Munui-myeon, with wide views over the lake and a small water exhibition.
• Geumgang LOHAS Daecheong Park: a riverside park below the dam on the Daejeon side, with broad lawns and walking paths.

Good to know

• The Geum River cycle path, one of the Four Rivers routes, starts at the dam, where a certification centre marks the starting point for cyclists.
• Foggy days have become more frequent since the dam was built, which explains the morning mist that often drifts over the lake.
• The lakeside roads are known as a scenic drive, especially between Munui-myeon and Hyeondo-myeon in Cheongju.

Nearby

• Cheongnamdae: the former presidential retreat about 1.6 km away, with gardens and trails along the lake.
• Hyeonamsa: a temple about 600 m from the observatory, one of the best-known heritage sites around the lake.

Tripto tips

• Visiting: the dam surroundings and park are always open, and the Water Culture Center and observatory are free. Check the centre's opening hours before you go.
• Getting there: the Water Culture Center is at 618-136 Daecheong-ro, Daedeok-gu, Daejeon (Miho-dong), close to Sintanjin; the observatory is at 206 Daecheonghoban-ro, Munui-myeon, Cheongju.
• Best time: a day of water release after heavy rain, or an early morning with mist on the lake.
• Time needed: 1.5 to 2 hours for the dam, the centre and a walk in the park; add Cheongnamdae for a full day.