S. Korea protests unannounced dam discharge by N. Korea; 6 still missing

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead paras to highlight Seoul's decision to file official
complaint over unannounced discharge of dam water)
SEOUL, Sept. 6 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will file an official complaint with North
Korea over an unannounced discharge of water from a dam in the North that may be
behind the disappearance of six people, Seoul's Unification Ministry said Sunday.
"The government will express its dissatisfaction over the incident in a message
to North Korea on Monday while also demanding a thorough explanation and a
promise that such an incident will never occur again," the ministry said in a
released statement.
Six South Koreans including one child went missing earlier in the day while
camping in Yeoncheon County, about 60km northeast of Seoul, alongside the Imjin
River. They were apparently swept away when the water level rose suddenly,
officials said.
Backed by two helicopters, police and rescue workers were patrolling the area to
search for the missing people.
Police said they also discovered the body of a boy that apparently drifted from
the North through the river. The child -- who appeared to be four or five years
old -- was wearing a black shirt, but his trousers had come off. The cause of
death has yet to be confirmed.
The Imjin River originates in the North and flows alongside the inter-Korean
border into the West Sea. Problems began after North Korea started building
several dams, mostly small-sized ones to produce electricity, in the area in
2000, Seoul officials said.
The North has periodically discharged water to adjust water levels without giving
prior notice to South Korea, causing damage to fish farms in Yeoncheon and
neighboring areas almost every year.
South and North Korea have no formal accord on water discharges. Seoul has
repeatedly asked for pre-notification, but Pyongyang said it cannot do so because
the water is "naturally discharged when it reaches the maximum height," according
to the Seoul's Unification Ministry.
In inter-Korean economic talks in 2005, North Korea agreed to give notification
of water discharges that year, but the promise was not fulfilled that summer,
prompting Seoul to send a protest letter.
No such consultations have been held since the conservative Lee Myung-bak
government came to power in Seoul last year.
South and North Korea remain technically at war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended
with a truce, not a peace treaty.
hkim@yna.co.kr
bdk@yna.co.kr
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