Ministry of Unification "Requested Prior Notice but North Korea Discharged Water from Hwanggang Dam Without Notification... Regret"

Gunnam Dam Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Ministry of Unification expressed regret on the 30th over North Korea opening the sluice gates of the Hwanggang Dam upstream of the Imjin River and releasing water without prior notice to South Korea.

A Ministry of Unification official said to reporters on the day, "Due to heavy rainfall in the North Korean region since last weekend, it is estimated that North Korea recently opened the sluice gates of the Hwanggang Dam," adding, "If the opening of the Hwanggang Dam sluice gates is true, we regret that despite our request for prior notification when the North releases water from the dam, the North did not provide any prior notice."

The Ministry of Unification requested North Korea on the 28th through the inter-Korean liaison office channel to notify in advance when releasing water from the dam, but the North proceeded with the release without responding.

It is known that North Korea began releasing water from the Hwanggang Dam a few days ago. Considering North Korean reports of heavy rain in the upstream Imjin River area recently, it appears the sluice gates were opened for water level control.

When water is released from the Hwanggang Dam upstream of the Imjin River, it takes 4 to 5 hours to reach the South Korean Gunam Flood Control Dam. Since the total storage capacity of the Hwanggang Dam (350 million tons) is about five times that of the Gunam Dam (71.6 million tons), opening the sluice gates causes the water levels at Pilsunggyo Bridge, the northernmost point of the Imjin River, and the Gunam Dam to rise sharply.

The official said, "The government has been preparing in advance by adjusting the water level of the Gunam Dam, considering the North's release from the Hwanggang Dam sluice gate opening," and added, "Considering that the water level at Pilsunggyo Bridge dropped from 5 meters at 1 a.m. to 3.24 meters at 2 p.m. today, it seems that North Korea has not sharply increased the amount of water released from the Hwanggang Dam."

The official also stated, "The government is closely monitoring rainfall and release situations in the North through close cooperation with related agencies," and "We will do our best to ensure the safety of the public and prevent damage to property by thoroughly managing our water areas."