The timing of the opening of the floodgates has not been revealed… Doubts regarding ‘Did you request advance notice even knowingly?’
North Korea agrees to notify in October 2009, but does not implement… Government “There is no damage in our area right now”
On the 30th, the government judged that North Korea had opened the floodgates of the Hwanggang Dam upstream of the Imjin River and released them due to heavy rains in recent days, and expressed regret for not notifying the ROK in advance.
An official from the Ministry of Unification met with reporters on the same day and said, “It is estimated that North Korea has recently opened the Hwanggang Dam sluice gate due to heavy rain in North Korea since last weekend.” “It is regrettable that the North did not give any prior notice to the request,” he said.
However, it was also seen that the level of criticism was somewhat moderated by making the subject of expressing regrets not as ‘the government’ but as ‘the official of the Ministry of Unification’.
A military source also said on the same day, “We believe that North Korea has recently opened the floodgates of Hwanggang Dam due to heavy rain. We are working hard not to,” he said.
It is known that North Korea’s Hwanggang Dam discharge started a few days ago.
However, prior to the discharge of the dam, the South Korean authorities were not notified.
Earlier on the 28th, the Ministry of Unification said through the media on the 28th, “It is a basic measure to prevent damage to the lives and property of the residents of the border area in a situation where there is concern regarding flood damage in the inter-Korean border during the rainy season.” I have been asked to do
The two Koreas agreed to notify the South in advance when North Korea releases Hwanggang Dam water without notice in September 2009, killing six residents in Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, in October of the same year.
Until this day, North Korea has not received a notice from the South urging for ‘prior notice in case of dam discharge’ through the inter-Korean joint liaison office.
Some criticize whether the North opened the dam before the government required advance notice.
The military and government authorities have not disclosed a specific date when North Korea opened the floodgates of the dam, raising suspicions.
In particular, the Ministry of Unification explained that the decision took time when critics were raised that it recognized North Korea’s unauthorized release early and expressed regret later.
An official from the Ministry of Unification said, “For the government to announce its position, it must be able to determine that North Korea’s illegal release is clear.” explained
It is known that the government is judging the time when North Korea first estimated that the floodgates were opened following they verbally requested prior notice when the dam was released through a military communication line on the 28th.
The government emphasized that there is no immediate damage to the southern region despite North Korea’s discharge from the dam.
An official from the Ministry of Unification said, “Considering that the water level at Pilseung Bridge was lowered to 3.24m at 2:05 am today, it does not appear that North Korea has rapidly increased the amount of discharge from the Hwanggang Dam. This is not the case,” he explained.
As the rainy season began in earnest in North Korea on the 27th, the possibility of unilateral discharge by opening floodgates such as the Hwanggang Dam (North Korean name, Yeseong River Dam) has been raised as in the past.
If the floodgate is opened at the Hwanggang Dam upstream of the Imjin River, it takes regarding 4 to 5 hours to reach the Gunnam Dam on our side.
The total water storage of Hwanggang Dam is regarding five times that of our Gunnam Dam (total water storage capacity of 71.6 million tons), so when the sluice gate is opened, the water level at Pilseung Bridge at the northernmost tip of the Imjin River and Gunnam Dam rises rapidly.
North Korea’s unauthorized discharge of the Hwanggang Dam in 2009 resulted in the death of six South Korean residents. I had to evacuate this urgently.
/yunhap news
