OB Beer donates drinking water to vulnerable groups as temperatures soar

Bottles of OB Water are prepared for distribution to vulnerable groups as part of a heat wave relief effort. Courtesy of OB Beer

By Lee Kyung-min

• Published Jul 1, 2026 2:35 PM KST

As early-summer heat intensifies across Korea, OB Beer is expanding its disaster relief efforts, providing more than 31,000 bottles of eco-friendly bottled water to support vulnerable groups facing heightened risk of heat-related illness.

OB Beer said Wednesday it has delivered OB Water, a disaster relief bottled water product, in partnership with the Hope Bridge Korea Disaster Relief Association, to help people most exposed to extreme heat.

The company said the water distributed this year comes from a prior donation to Hope Bridge and is being used to prevent heat-related illness and support hydration for people with disabilities and individuals experiencing homelessness.

On June 11, about 8,600 bottles were delivered to the Daegu branch of the Korea Spinal Cord Injury Association.

On June 22, about 23,000 bottles were delivered to the Korea Homeless Facilities Association.

The shipment to homeless shelters is being distributed through a hub in Incheon, reaching facilities across Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, Incheon, Gangwon Province and Jeju.

OB Water is produced in collaboration with Sansu Beverage Co. and is packaged in 500-milliliter bottles made from 100 percent sugarcane-derived material, which the company said helps reduce microplastic concerns.

The label and cap are also made from biodegradable materials derived from sugarcane, according to the company.

OB Beer has worked with Hope Bridge since 2016 to maintain an emergency relief system capable of rapidly supplying bottled water and other aid during disasters, and said it has donated about 880,000 bottles to date.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.