The water level at Pilsung Bridge, located at the northernmost point of the Imjin River in Yeoncheon, is continuing to rise, moving beyond the 'attention' stage of crisis response.
According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, as of 12:37 p.m. on July 21, the water level at Pilsung Bridge exceeded 8.95 meters, prompting officials to ensure thorough management of the situation. Yoon Ho-jung, head of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters and Minister of Interior and Safety, stated, "Please manage the situation and ensure the safety of residents with all possible scenarios in mind," and directed relevant agencies to share information and activate a close cooperation system.
The rapid increase in the water level at Pilsung Bridge is largely attributed to heavy rainfall and the release of water from North Korea's Hwanggang Dam.
According to a report by Yonhap News, the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment determined, based on satellite imagery analysis from the previous afternoon, that North Korea had released water from the Hwanggang Dam, located upstream on the Imjin River.
While there was an agreement between the North and South to provide prior notification before releasing water from the dam, this time, North Korea did not give any advance notice. A source from the Ministry of Unification was quoted by Yonhap News, stating, "Given that joint responses to natural disasters are humanitarian issues, responsible cooperation between the North and South is necessary."
The Imjin River basin has specific response levels based on the water level at Pilsung Bridge: a rise of over 1 meter triggers 'evacuation of river visitors,' 2 meters prompts 'evacuation of non-flood period residents,' 7.5 meters indicates an 'attention' stage for border area crisis response, and 12 meters signals a 'warning' stage.
Meanwhile, the Korea Meteorological Administration announced that the heavy rain warning issued for Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, would be lifted as of 12:30 p.m. on July 21.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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