In the midst of this, North Korea released water from the Hwangang Dam, located upstream of the Imjin River, which flows into South Korea, in the early hours of the 18th, without prior notice to the South Korean side.
The water level of the river flowing from Korea to Korea has been rising rapidly on the downstream Korean side, causing frequent damage. In response to the release of the water, the Ministry of Environment of Korea (Ministry is equivalent to a ministry) has shifted to emergency mode. However, the concern is that the water level
Not only has the temperature risen, but since around April this year, North Korea has been burying landmines in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the military border with South Korea, and there is a risk that the mines will flow into South Korea along with the released water.
It is believed that some of the mines are "leaf mines" shaped like leaves to make them harder to find. Heavy rains fell in many areas, and a heavy rain warning was issued in Seoul on the morning of the 17th. Yoon Seok-gi
President Yoon Seok-yeol canceled his scheduled local duties in order to respond to the torrential rains that day. According to Yonhap News, a presidential office official said, "The president is reporting the damage across the country in real time.
"After receiving a report on the situation, I instructed the heads of each local government to take every possible measure to restore and respond to the damage on site," he said. Damage continues to occur, including flooding of homes.
The National Response Headquarters announced that as of 5:00 a.m. on the 18th, 585 households and 887 people had evacuated from 36 cities, counties, and wards in eight metropolitan municipalities.
Meanwhile, the North Korean Workers' Party's newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, published an article on the 17th entitled "The entire party,
The editorial called for measures against the heavy rains, saying, "All the people should rise up and take thorough measures." North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam in the early hours of the 18th. When the dam was released, water flowed downstream to northern South Korea.
The water levels of the Gunnam Dam in Yeongchon County, Gyeonggi Province, and other dams will be affected. The Imjin River flows from North Korea to South Korea, and the Hwanggang Dam is located upstream.
Located about 40 kilometers north, the dam has an estimated storage capacity of about 300 to 400 million tons. It was completed in 2007. North Korea claims that the dam is used for hydroelectric power generation and irrigation.
In September 2009, North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam without a teaser, resulting in the deaths of six South Korean campers downstream. Following this accident, the two Koreas agreed to release water from the dam in advance.
However, North Korea has released water without prior notice twice in 2010 and once in 2013, violating the agreement.
More than 100 fishermen from Paju city, close to North Korea, suffered damage when their fishing gear was swept away by the release. In August 2020, North Korea also opened the dam's floodgates without prior notice, causing the water level downstream on the South Korean side of the Imjin River to rise.
The number of infected people rose sharply, and residents in the area were forced to evacuate. The Unification Minister at the time expressed regret and said, "No matter how severe the political and military situation between the two Koreas is, we will continue to focus on humanitarian matters and the safety of residents in the border areas between the two Koreas.
"The directly connected areas need to immediately resume communication between the North and South," he said. Now that tensions between the North and South are even higher than they were back then, it's not just flood damage caused by dam releases that is of concern.
Therefore, vigilance is growing as there is a risk that landmines may drift into South Korea. Since around April, North Korea has been carrying out work such as burying landmines and reinforcing barbed wire in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the military border with South Korea.
In a speech at the Supreme People's Assembly (equivalent to the National Assembly) in January of this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong Eun said he would stipulate in the constitution that South Korea is "the number one hostile country and the unchanging main enemy."
He stressed the necessity of this. He declared, "We will put an end to 80 years of North-South relations," and stated, "We will completely cut off everything that connects the North and South near the Military Demarcation Line."
The construction work is believed to be a measure to create a visible "border" between North and South Korea, in accordance with Kim's instructions. The number of mines buried in the northern area of the DMZ is estimated to be in the tens of thousands.
As North Korea has released water from its dam, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff are on high alert, fearing that landmines may be washed into riverbeds on the South Korean side. Some of the mines are difficult to spot, disguised as leaves.
Some of the mines are harder to detonate, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and South Korean media have called them "leaf mines." The amount of explosives used in these mines is about 40 grams, according to Yonhap News Agency, which has reported that the mines are about the same size as ordinary mines.
The ministry explained that the mines have a power somewhere between those of human mines (approximately 20 grams) and wooden box mines (approximately 70 grams). The Chosun Ilbo also reported that the mines are about the size of a smartphone. The Ministry of National Defense said, "When the heavy rain subsides,
"It is possible that mines may remain when the water recedes, so if you come across any suspicious objects please do not touch them but report them to military forces or the police."
2024/07/19 14:18 KST
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