Asia-Pacific

DPRK starts releasing dam water, no damage: ROK official

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-07-19 15:45
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SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) seems to have begun releasing water from its dam near the inter-Korean border since Sunday night, Seoul's land ministry officials said Monday.

The water is being discharged at the speed of 1,000 tons per second, and no damage is expected in South Korea as necessary precautionary measures are put in place, a ministry official told Xinhua.  

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The move came a day after the DPRK notified the South Korean authorities through a military hotline that it may release water from a dam on the Imjin River in case of continued heavy rain.

Seoul's unification ministry notified government agencies including K-Water, the Han River Flood Control Office and the land ministry of the warning from the DPRK, it said on Monday.

In September last year, the DPRK released about 40 million tons of water from its Hwanggam dam without any prior warning to South Korea, resulting in deaths of six South Korean campers.

In October, Seoul in a working-level meeting called on its northern neighbor to warn of such a discharge in advance, and the DPRK accepted the request.