Measures ready for N. Korea's unannounced dam water releases: unification ministry

Water gushes out of the floodgates of the Gunnam Dam on the Imjin River that runs across the inter-Korean border in the South Korean border town of Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, July 21. Yonhap

The government has response measures in place for sudden, unannounced releases of water from a North Korean dam near the border, the unification ministry said Tuesday.

Release of water from north of the border, especially during monsoon seasons, often lead to flooding in the South, while Pyongyang has failed to give prior notices for over a decade, despite an earlier agreement, amid soured relations between the two Koreas.

"The government has measures ready to protect residents in border areas," a unification official told reporters.

"In the past, we had limited means to verify water releases, but now, advanced technology — satellite imagery, gate monitoring and coordination across government agencies — allows us to monitor conditions in real time," the official added. "The government does not rely solely on advance notice from the North."

North Korea agreed to notify the South before releasing dam water, but it has not honored the commitment since 2014.

While satellites normally photograph the areas three to four times a day, they are switched to real-time monitoring in an emergency. Water takes roughly six hours to reach border areas in the South after a release, which is enough time for the government to prepare for potential flooding, according to the official.

North Korea released water last week from the Hwanggang Dam on the upper reaches of the Imjin River, which runs through the Military Demarcation Line into South Korea.