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🇰🇷 South Korea /Disasters & Emergencies

Nakdong River algae bloom forces postponement of Goryeong triathlon

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • The '2026 Goryeong County Mayor's Cup Daegaya National Triathlon Competition' was postponed just three days before its scheduled start due to severe algal blooms in the Nakdong River.
  • The Goryeong County Triathlon Association cited concerns over water quality and participant safety as the reasons for the delay.
  • The event, which was to host over 860 participants, has been rescheduled for autumn, with full refunds and priority registration for existing participants offered.

A triathlon competition scheduled to take place in Goryeong, North Gyeongsang Province, was postponed just three days before its start due to concerns over severe algal blooms in the Nakdong River. The Goryeong County Triathlon Association announced the delay on June 24, citing deteriorating water quality and potential health risks for participants.

The '2026 Goryeong County Mayor's Cup Daegaya National Triathlon Competition' was slated for June 27-28. However, the area around the Nakdong River where the event was to be held has been under an 'alert' level for harmful blue-green algae since June 15. This alert is issued when cell counts of harmful blue-green algae exceed the standard threshold of 10,000 cells per milliliter on two or more occasions.

Due to recent algal blooms in the Nakdong River and subsequent deterioration of water quality, concerns about participant health have been raised on various platforms. After careful consultation with the sports team and the sports council, and prioritizing athlete safety, we have unavoidably decided to postpone the competition to autumn.

— Goryeong County Triathlon AssociationThe association explained the reasons behind the decision to postpone the triathlon event.

The Daegu Regional Environmental Agency had previously increased its water quality monitoring frequency and advised against recreational activities like swimming and fishing, as well as the consumption of aquatic life. The postponement affects over 860 registered participants.

The association has committed to providing full refunds for registration fees and will offer priority registration for the rescheduled event in the fall. They are also discussing compensation and support measures for participants who made advance bookings for accommodation and transportation. "We are fully aware of the inconvenience caused to our participants and will carefully consider practical support measures," the association stated, promising to re-evaluate all preparations to ensure a safer and more satisfying event in the autumn.

We are fully aware of the inconvenience caused to our participants and will carefully consider practical support measures.

— Goryeong County Triathlon AssociationThe association addressed the impact of the postponement on participants and pledged to offer support.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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