N. KOREA OPENED UP BORDER DAM WITHOUT NOTICE

[Anchor Lead]

As torrential downpours are forecast to hit the nation, North Korea has released water from a border dam without notifying South Korea in advance. The North Korean move has put South Korean authorities on alert, as it will likely raise water levels here with inter-Korean communication lines remaining severed.

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​The water level near Pilseungkyo Bridge on Imjingang River once rose to 5.7 meters yesterday. It was the first time this year the water level there surpassed two meters. This is why officials here presume that North Korea opened the floodgates of its Hwanggang Dam in the upper part of the Imjingang River to discharge water southwards. The water level has not yet reached a dangerous point. But it is known that the two Koreas have failed to share related information properly, after the North cut off cross-border communication lines a couple of months ago. South Korean military authorities are working hard to obtain information about the water discharge. The North's meteorological agency reported that the nation was already hit by heavy monsoon downpours of some 300 millimeters. It issued a special heavy rain warning last night, calling for thorough preparations.

[Soundbite] RI YONG-NAM(NORTH KOREAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY) : "Torrential downpours of over 500 millimeters are expected for provinces of Pyongan-do and Hwanghae-do as well as Kaesong City, south Chagang-do and the inland region of Gangwon-do."

North Korea will likely release more water from Hwanggang Dam, as torrential rain is forecast for Gangwon Province, which is located in the upper part of the Imjingang River. A water discharge from the border dam, which has the capacity to store 3.5 million tons of water, could damage fisheries and even cause casualties in the southern side of the Imjingang River. Back in 2009, the North's sudden water discharge killed six South Koreans in Yeoncheon-gun County in Gyeonggi-do Province. Since 2010, North Korea gave South Korea three prior notices about its plans to release water from the border dam during torrential rain.