North Korea released water from a dam near the South Korean border just because it could
Screenshot via ARIRANG NEWS/YouTubeFile photo.
North Korea is well known to be an unpredictable nation, and with tales of their leaders being able to control elements of nature, this might prove to be a dangerous thing.
According to Bloomberg, the country raised the Hwanggang Dam near the Imjin River on Tuesday morning. Located 26 miles north of the border, this sudden move sparked worries of a North Korean flooding attack by unleashing torrential waters into South Korea.
North Korea has in the past opened their dams without warning, killing six South Koreans. After the 2009 incident and agreeing to let the South know of future releases, North Korea continued to release water as recently as in May. Further, according to NKNews, South Korean officials in the 1980s stated that the North showed interest in opening up the Kumgangsan Dam to flood Seoul.
Kim Do-yun/AP Photo/YonhapSouth Korean soldiers search missing people at the Imjin River in Yeoncheon, north of Seoul, South Korea, Monday, Sept. 7, 2009.
This move by North Korea also comes days after South Korea experienced heavy downpour that forced officials to issue evacuation orders. So far, no injuries have been reported.
The Hwanggang Dam contains about 400 million tons of water, which North Korea claims is essential to generate electricity.