Drought uncovers car swept up in 2003 Typhoon Maemi floods

A car was discovered on the bed of a dried-up reservoir in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, after a severe drought pushed water levels to a record low, local news reports said Thursday.

Police and fire authorities said the Tico compact car from now-defunct Daewoo Motors was found on a sloped section of the Obong Reservoir around 5:32 p.m. Wednesday. No human remains were inside.

The vehicle was discovered by a regional government official who was passing by to conduct drought-relief work.

The reservoir is typically full, but its water level has fallen to 13.8 percent of capacity, a record low, exposing much of the reservoir bed.

Police later confirmed the car’s owner had died in September 2003, but the vehicle was never found. The car appears to have been swept away during floods caused by the Super Typhoon Maemi, which struck the area that month.