North Korea releases water from dam without prior notice

Firefighters conduct a rescue drill for residents stranded along the riverside during a flood evacuation exercise held in Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi Province, May 20. The drill was organized in preparation for potential flooding of the Imjin River caused by heavy summer rains and water discharge from North Korea’s Hwanggang Dam. Yonhap

North Korea appears to be releasing water from a dam near the inter-Korean border without giving prior notice, the environment ministry said Friday.

The ministry said satellite imagery from around noon showed the Imjin River south of the Hwanggang Dam in North Korea had widened.

It also said the water level at Pilseung Bridge, the northernmost point of the Imjin River in South Korea, had risen to 70 centimeters as of 7:20 p.m., up from 49 cm three hours earlier.

A water level of 1 meter triggers the evacuation of visitors in the river area.

North Korea's unannounced water releases during the monsoon season have threatened the safety of residents in South Korea's border areas.

In September 2009 one such discharge left six South Koreans killed or missing.

The following month, the North agreed to provide prior notice before discharging water and sent such notices intermittently in 2010 and 2013, but stopped afterward.

Last month, South Korea again called on the North to provide prior notice before releasing water.