In August 2026, extreme rainfall caused flood damage in Gonrido, Sanyang-eup, Tongyeong City, Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea. Gonrido is a small island community located off Korea’s southern coast, where access to people, supplies, and services can become particularly difficult during a disaster.
In response to the flooding in Gonrido, the Daegu Metropolitan Government and the Daegu Metropolitan City Volunteer Center mobilised volunteers and travelled by boat to the island. Volunteers supported residents by removing mud and debris from flood-affected homes, cleaning living spaces, and helping families restore their homes.
The response, however, did not end with physical cleanup. Volunteers also checked on residents’ wellbeing, particularly older people and those requiring additional care. Emergency supplies were purchased locally based on field assessments and delivered directly to residents.
Professional social workers also joined the response, assessing living conditions and wellbeing, identifying possible risks, providing information, and linking residents with health and welfare services when necessary.
Most importantly, Daegu’s support for Gonrido did not end after the initial flood recovery work. Follow-up support continued after the cleanup, including additional supplies ahead of a major national holiday. Daegu is also exploring ways to build a longer-term relationship between volunteers in the city and residents of the island through future visits, exchanges, and community-based activities.
The Gonrido case therefore represents a broader model of disaster volunteering:
flood response → field assessment → island recovery → emergency supplies → professional social welfare support → follow-up care → long-term city–island connection.
In the International Year of Volunteers 2026, the experience of Daegu volunteers in flood-affected Gonrido demonstrates how disaster volunteering can move beyond short-term cleanup and become part of a longer process of care, connection, and community recovery.