Frozen Lake

[Anchor Lead]

Daecheong-ho Lake has frozen solid amid the brutal cold wave. The lake also serves as a traveling sea route for nearby residents, so the locals are now increasingly isolated.

[Pkg]

At a dock on Daecheong-ho Lake, a boat starts off with the loud sound of its engine. It is an air-cushion vehicle that navigates over the frozen water surface. Residents near the lake have limited access to ground travel. Now with the lake frozen up, they need a special means of transportation. The Daecheong-ho Lake, nicknamed the inland sea, is the sole travel route for the locals here. With the lake repeatedly freezing this winter, the residents are increasingly growing isolated.

[Soundbite] Son Ho-yeon(Chief of Makjiri Village) : "It's a relief to have the air-cushion vehicle because we can cross the lake even when it snows. But it breaks down easily and repair costs are expensive."

Conditions can actually be worse. At a nearby village, the air-cushion vehicle is out of order and a dozen households are stranded. They can't buy daily necessities and there's a great deal of inconvenience.

[Soundbite] Gwon Byeong-hak(Chief of Odaeri Village) : "It's inconvenient for the 7 elderly seniors in our town. They can trip and fall. Also walking on ice is nerve wracking because it can crack."

As another brutal cold wave is forecast in the coming days, residents near Daecheong-ho Lake continue to struggle in isolation.