Water gushes out of the floodgates of the Gunnam Dam on the Imjin River that runs across the inter-Korean border in the South Korean border town of Yeoncheon, north of Seoul, South Korea, 21 July 2026. The state-run Korea Water Resources Corp. opened all of the dam's seven floodgates to lower the water level following North Korea's release of water from the Hwanggang Dam on the river's upper reaches. The dam, opened in 2010, was designed to deal with flash floods from North Korea. Photo by YONHAP / EPA
July 21 (Asia Today) -- South Korea expressed regret Tuesday after North Korea apparently released water from a border-area dam without advance notice, calling for responsible cooperation between the two countries to prevent flood damage.
A Unification Ministry official said joint responses to natural disasters should be treated as humanitarian matters.
"Responsible cooperation between the two sides is necessary," the official told reporters.
South Korean authorities believe North Korea began releasing water from Hwanggang Dam, located upstream on the Imjin River, on Monday night without notifying Seoul.
