Suspicious Unauthorized Discharge at North Korea's Hwanggang Dam... Water Foam Detected in Satellite Images

According to a report by Radio Free Asia (RFA) on the 29th, there are indications that North Korea discharged water from the Hwanggang Dam without prior notification to the South Korean government.

Hwanggang Dam in North Korea.

Satellite images taken on the 20th by the U.S. commercial satellite company 'Planet Labs' confirmed that North Korea's Hwanggang Dam opened some of its sluice gates to release water. The photos captured water foam generated by the flowing water.

Previously, the Ministry of Unification requested North Korea on the 30th of last month to notify them in advance when discharging water from the dam, but after receiving no response, they urged again on the 17th. If North Korea opens the sluice gates of the Hwanggang Dam, it affects the water levels of the Gunnam Dam and Pilseunggyo in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province.

In particular, the total storage capacity of the Hwanggang Dam, located upstream of the Imjin River, is 350 million tons, which is five times larger than that of the Gunnam Dam (7,100 tons), so a large-scale discharge could cause damage to downstream areas. In fact, in 2009, North Korea opened the sluice gates of the Hwanggang Dam without warning, resulting in the deaths of six residents in Yeoncheon County.