N. Korean dams unleash floodwaters, raising cross-border concerns

By Updates

August 15, 2024

NewsUpdates

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Torrential rains in July caused the Yalu River, which borders China, to rise significantly, leading to severe flooding in North Korean river basins. Satellite images revealed that Supung Lake, North Korea’s largest, reached full capacity, forcing the Supung Dam to open all its floodgates. The dam released muddy water over several days.

The heavy rainfall also affected inland areas. In Tosan County, North Hwanghae province, the Hwanggang Dam opened its gates to release water from its reservoir. Satellite imagery showed that the Hwanggang Dam continued to discharge water for ten days after the initial torrential rain.

Supung Dam, which houses North Korea’s largest hydroelectric power plant, reached full capacity as the upper Yalu River overflowed. Nearby, Kim Jong Un’s private Changsong Villa, situated on higher ground close to Supung Lake, likely avoided flood damage.

Despite South Korea’s repeated requests for prior notification, North Korea opened the Hwanggang Dam’s floodgates without warning. Satellite images captured this unauthorized release, which continued for more than ten days. Experts believe this discharge was for reservoir level control and did not pose a flood risk to South Korea’s downstream Imjin River basin. As of now, no damage has been reported in the South Korean areas downstream of the Imjin River.

Full discharge from Supung Dam

July’s torrential rains caused the Yalu River to swell, forcing Supung Dam to fully open its gates. Water from Supung Lake was released at full capacity over several days.

Supung Dam, constructed in October 1943 during Japanese colonial rule, was then Asia’s largest. It spans the Yalu River between North Korea’s Sakju County in North Pyongan province and China’s Liaoning province. China and North Korea jointly operate the dam and its hydroelectric power plant, equally sharing the generated electricity. North Korea reportedly uses its share to pay off Chinese debt.

While South Korea’s Soyanggang Dam is the Korean Peninsula’s largest hydroelectric plant, its Soyang Lake is less than a quarter the size of Supung Lake.

As the Yalu River overflowed in late July, Supung Dam’s water level rose sharply. On July 31, 420 meters of the dam’s 900-meter-long gates were fully opened. Satellite images captured the full discharge on Aug. 4. By Aug. 7, images indicated the discharge had stopped, suggesting the dam released water for nearly a week, despite some days of poor visibility due to cloud cover.

Near Supung Lake, in Yaksu village, Changsong county, North Pyongan province, sits Kim Jong Un’s private Changsong Villa. This villa, reportedly the largest of 33 exclusive retreats for North Korea’s leaders, covers 5,140 hectares—17.7 times the size of Seoul’s Yeouido district (290 hectares). Despite being just 20 meters from the water’s edge, the villa’s elevated position likely protected it from flood damage.

Changsong Villa is 6.7 kilometers from Liaoning province, across Supung Lake. Some reports suggest former leader Kim Il-sung built this expansive facility near the Chinese border as a potential escape route in case of state collapse or overthrow.

Partial discharge of water from Hwanggang Dam

Heavy rainfall also affected inland areas, particularly North Hwanghae province. Satellite images revealed that Hwanggang Dam, located upstream on the Imjin River in Hwanggang village, Tosan county, partially opened its floodgates for over ten days following the torrential rain.

The dam’s water level rose significantly, necessitating a controlled water release. Satellite imagery captured ongoing discharge on Aug. 4, 7, and 9, well after July’s heavy rains. The dam’s 220-meter-long gates were partially opened, allowing for a measured release over an extended period. Experts assessed this as a reservoir level control measure that posed no immediate flood risk to South Korea’s downstream Imjin River basin.

However, large-scale releases from Hwanggang Dam can potentially cause flooding in downstream South Korean areas of the Imjin River. A tragic incident in September 2009 underscores this risk: North Korea’s abrupt water discharge resulted in the deaths of six South Korean campers downstream.

Following this event, inter-Korean talks in October 2009 led to North Korea expressing regret and promising to provide advance notice of future dam discharges. Despite this agreement, North Korea has repeatedly released water without prior notification, causing recurring damage such as the loss of South Korean fishermen’s equipment downstream.

South Korea’s Ministry of Unification has made multiple annual requests, even before rainy seasons, urging North Korea to provide advance notice of dam discharges. However, North Korea continues to violate this agreement, unilaterally releasing water from Hwanggang Dam. This behavior is viewed by some as deliberate provocation and disregard for previous commitments.