Key facts
- A flood advisory has been issued for the Imjin River in Yeoncheon County, South Korea.
- The water level at Imjin Bridge reached 7 meters and was rising rapidly.
- North Korea released water from the Hwanggang Dam without prior notification.
- The water level at Pilseung Bridge exceeded the second-highest flood management threshold.
- Residents and visitors in the area were warned and advised to evacuate.
Authorities issued a flood advisory for the Imjin River in Yeoncheon County, South Korea, on Tuesday, as heavy downpours caused water levels to rise sharply. The situation was exacerbated by North Korea's release of water from the Hwanggang Dam near the inter-Korean border without prior notification.
The Han River Flood Control Office issued the warning at 11:40 a.m. after the water level at Imjin Bridge in Yeoncheon County, located approximately 60 kilometers northeast of Seoul, reached 7 meters. The water level was observed to be rising at a rate of 0.2 to 0.3 meters every 10 minutes.
Satellite imagery confirmed the release of water from the Hwanggang Dam on the upper reaches of the Imjin River. At Pilseung Bridge, the northernmost point of the Imjin River in South Korea, the water level measured 8.1 meters at 11:40 a.m., surpassing the 7.5-meter threshold for the second-highest level of the river's flood management scheme.
The flood control office and the county government have dispatched mobile safety warnings to residents and visitors in the affected areas, urging them to stay away from the riverbanks and evacuate to safer locations.