The Peace Dam on the North Han River in Hwacheon county, South Korea, is pictured on May 2, 2023. It's roughly seven miles from the North Korean border. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — South Korea is calling on the North to provide notice before discharging its dam water to prepare for possible flooding near the border.
The South’s Ministry of Unification urges “the North to take sincere measures to prevent damage,” the agency announced in a news release Friday. It also pointed out that it is “not technically difficult” for Pyongyang to contact Seoul if it decides to release any water.
The ministry said it was making its position known through the news release due to “poor communication” with Pyongyang. North Korea has been unresponsive in its communication channels with the South since April, according to the ministry.
The North last released water without warning in August from the Hwanggang Dam on the Imjin River. No damage was reported by the South Korean government, Yonhap News Agency reported at the time.
Six South Koreans were killed when water was released from the dam in 2019. That year, the North signed an agreement with the South about notifying Seoul before discharging any water. Pyongyang has notified Seoul about water releases three times since the agreement, the ministry said Friday.
South Korea expects to see the year’s heaviest rainfall this summer, an estimate of 12 inches this month and next, according to the Korea Meteorological Administration’s website.
On Friday, a landslide in Yeongju triggered by heavy rainfall caused a house to collapse, killing a 14-month-old baby, according to the Dong-A Ilbo newspaper.
Record rainfall in the South last year killed at least 28 people and caused nearly $440 million in property damage, according to data provided Monday by the Ministry of Interior and Safety.
South Korea’s notice came one day before the North warned its people to prepare for “extreme weather conditions” and called for the government to maintain “high vigilance" in areas prone to flooding and typhoons.
The State Committee for Emergency and Disaster Management is preparing for “unexpected” effects of the heavy rain season this summer and fall, according to the state-run Pyongyang Times.
One of these measures is to ensure the committee’s emergency notification systems are working to warn citizens about flash floods and give first responders ample time to react to emergencies, according to the report.
“The most important in minimizing the damage from natural disasters caused by extreme weather is to prevent the loss of lives,” committee deputy director Pak Yong Sik said in the report. “We give top priority to the safety-first principle to prevent the loss of lives and ensure the personal safety of the people.”
