What was supposed to be a joyful reopening after six years turned into a day of disappointment and frustration for families in western Busan.
The much-anticipated Samnak Ecological Park Children’s Water Park, the largest public outdoor water facility in the area, postponed its grand reopening on July 26 due to safety concerns, but only informed the public on the same day, leaving many citizens outraged after making the trip in vain.
Originally scheduled to reopen at 12:30 p.m. after being closed since 2020 due to the pandemic, the water park was expected to welcome up to 1,500 visitors daily, divided into three sessions.
Of those, 1,000 spots were booked through advance reservations, which quickly sold out, and 500 were to be made available for on-site registration on a first-come, first-served basis.
However, Sasang-gu District Office notified only those with reservations via text message between 8 and 9 a.m. on the morning of the 26th.
A brief announcement was also posted to the district’s official website and Instagram page. The limited scope and timing of the notice left many families, especially those attempting to register on-site, unaware of the sudden change until they arrived at the park, only to find the gates closed and large slides deflated.
Online forums soon flooded with photos and videos showing the shut-down facility and long lines of frustrated families.
The reopening had generated significant excitement among local residents. With no comparable facility in western Busan, many families have had to travel to Yangsan or Gimhae to find outdoor water play areas.
The Samnak Water Park, with its 9,000㎡ space, includes three swimming pools, a lazy river, and three inflatable water slides. Children in elementary school and younger are allowed free entry through August 24.
Sasang-gu officials said the delay was due to safety issues discovered during final inspections.
Despite working late into the night to install key features like slides and shaded rest areas, recent heavy rains required emergency drainage and cleanup, prompting the last-minute decision.
While safety may justify the delay, the handling of the announcement continues to draw criticism from citizens and online commenters who say that communication failures, not just rain, spoiled their summer plans.
It’s expected to reopen tomorrow.
