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Tensions rise as North Korea continues sending water into South from border dam

Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 15:17 Updated: 08 Sep. 2025, 16:32

Water released from Hwanggang Dam upstream of the Imjin River is pictured in this footage from Sept. 8. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

North Korea has continued releasing water from the Hwanggang Dam upstream of the Imjin River this summer without notice, raising tensions in border regions.

About 60 percent of the Imjin River basin lies in the North, with the rest in the South. Water flows through the Pilseung Bridge in Yeoncheon before reaching Paju, north of Seoul.

Water levels at Pilseung Bridge — the southernmost point of the demilitarized zone in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi — rose above the one-meter (3.3-foot) threshold at 1:20 a.m. Monday, triggering an evacuation alert for river visitors, according to the Han River Flood Control Office. By 11:10 a.m., the water had reached 1.42 meters.

When the water passed one meter, Gyeonggi authorities broadcast sirens urging riverside visitors to evacuate and sent text alerts to nearby residents.

The Ministry of Environment confirmed through satellite images on Saturday that the North had released water from Hwanggang Dam.

Alerts are issued in stages: tourist evacuation at one meter, non-flood season evacuation at two meters, "concern" status in border areas at 7.5 meters, and "caution" status at 12 meters.

“We condemn the continued damage to the South caused by North Korea's unexpected release of water from Hwanggang Dam,” said Hong Jeong-sik, head of the civic group Hwalbindan, in a statement released Monday. “North Korea must immediately comply with its agreement, reached during the 2009 inter-Korean agreement requiring advance notice of dam discharges, to provide advance notice before releasing water from the dam.”

Hong Jeong-sik, head of the civic group Hwalbindan, stages a solo protest regarding the Hwanggang Dam releases by North Korea in July. [HWALBINDAN]

Built over a decade ago, Hwanggang Dam has a capacity five times that of the Gunnam Dam — officially the Gunnam Flood Control Dam — in Yeoncheon, which serves as the South’s countermeasure. The two are just 56.2 kilometers (35 miles) apart.

If Hwanggang Dam discharges 500 tons of water per second, it would take about nine hours to reach Pilseung Bridge. For this reason, prior notification and coordination with the South are seen as essential to minimize flood risks.

The Ministry of Unification previously said that North Korea discharged water from Hwanggang Dam without notice on June 25 and July 18.

“The government is closely monitoring the North’s release activities and is working with relevant ministries to prevent flood damage in border areas,” a ministry official told reporters Monday.

Fortunately, no significant damage occurred as the water volume was relatively low.

Vice Minister of Unification Kim Nam-jung views Gunnam Dam in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi on July 16. [YONHAP]

The releases came despite repeated humanitarian appeals from the South. On June 27, the Unification Ministry underscored the need for prior notification during a press briefing, and on July 16 the vice minister reiterated the message during a visit to the Imjin River.

The two Koreas agreed on Oct. 14, 2009, that the North would give prior notice of dam releases, but the deal has largely been ignored since 2011. Seoul has consistently requested notifications, but Pyongyang has not complied.

The consequences of unannounced releases have been serious. Before Gunnam Dam was completed in June 2011, a sudden discharge from Hwanggang Dam in September 2009 swept away campers in Yeoncheon, killing six.

Even after Gunnam Dam was built, unannounced releases have caused flooding of homes and farmland in Yeoncheon and Paju, Gyeonggi, as well as damage to fishing boats and gear.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEON ICK-JIN [[email protected]]