Government: "North Korea, Notify in Advance Before Releasing Dam Water During the Monsoon Season"

Ministry of Unification: "Advance Notice Must Be Observed According to Inter-Korean Agreement"
Impact on Gunnam Dam and Pilsung Bridge When North Korea Releases Water from Hwanggang Dam
6 Yeoncheon Residents Died During Unauthorized Release in 2009

The government urged North Korea to notify in advance about dam discharges to prevent flood damage ahead of the rainy season.

Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification, stated at a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office on the 28th, "To prevent flood damage in the inter-Korean border areas during the rainy season, we urge the North to notify our side in advance when discharging water from dams." She continued, "Despite the inter-Korean agreement to notify in advance when discharging dams, North Korea has continued malicious unauthorized discharges except for three prior notifications," and explained, "Advance notification is a humanitarian issue directly related to the lives, safety, and property of our citizens, regardless of the political or military situation between the two Koreas."

Kim In-ae, Deputy Spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification, is holding a regular briefing at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 28th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Deputy Spokesperson Kim emphasized again, "The North must implement measures according to the inter-Korean agreement," and "To this end, we urge the prompt normalization of inter-Korean communication channels." She also said, "Residents in the border areas should exercise special caution as hazardous materials may flow down from the North," and "The government will maintain close cooperation among related agencies and a 24-hour monitoring posture to be fully prepared."

If North Korea opens the sluice gates of the Hwanggang Dam located upstream of the Imjin River, the water levels of the Gunnam Dam and Pilsunggyo in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, will be greatly affected. In September 2009, North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam without prior notice, resulting in the deaths of six Yeoncheon residents. Following this, in October of the same year, the two Koreas agreed that North Korea would notify the South in advance when discharging dam water. This agreement was observed until the following year but has become ineffective since 2011.