Resumen
Most of Korea?s precipitation is concentrated between June and September, and 65% of the country?s territory is covered with mountains, which means there is less time for rainfall to reach the surface. These hydrological characteristics pose challenges in securing and managing water resources. Moreover, the Yeongdong Area of Gangwon Province does not easily allow the construction of reservoirs and dams, which adds to the difficulty of developing structural measures to address water shortage caused by water supply restrictions. One measure proposed for addressing damage to residents, as well as social conflicts caused by water shortages, is to use underground dams and other high-capacity underground facilities to secure water for Korea?s eastern coastal areas. Unlike dams and reservoirs above the ground, underground dams are not affected by floods and offer an eco-friendly way to address the continuous water demand growth by storing water in underground spaces. This study prioritizes underground dam sites in six areas in the Yeongdong Area of Gangwon Province (Goseong, Sokcho, Yangyang, Gangneung, Donghae, and Samcheok) by conducting an expert survey and analyzing the results with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy AHP. The findings indicate that the Sangcheon River in Sokcho, where an underground dam already exists, satisfies the criteria proposed in this study. We expect the study?s findings and methods to be used to determine suitable dam sites and water resource management plans.