(4th LD) N. Korea says deadly flood was unintentional amid anger in South

(ATTN: MODIFIES lead, REPLACES N.K. quote in 3rd para, possible friction in
relations in 14th para)
By Kim Hyun and Sam Kim
SEOUL, Sept. 7 (Yonhap) -- A sudden surge of water in its border dam prompted a
massive discharge, North Korea said Monday, leaving six South Koreans dead or
missing as anger brewed over the incident some called "inhuman."
In an unusually prompt response to Seoul's protest, Pyongyang also said it will
issue alerts in the future to prevent the recurrence of similar floods.
"We looked into the raised issue and found that the water was discharged on
emergency as it reached high levels," the North was quoted by Seoul's Unification
Ministry as saying in a faxed letter.
Some 40 million tons of water from North Korea's Hwanggang Dam pushed through the
Imjin River that runs to South Korea's western region Sunday morning, sweeping
away the victims who were camping or fishing along the riverbanks, officials say.
Seoul protested the discharge and demanded an explanation. Pyongyang responded
just hours later, but its explanation was not considered enough.
"We deeply regret that the North Korean notice is not sufficient enough to
convince us and it had no mention of the loss of human lives on our side," the
ministry said in a statement.
North Korea's unannounced water discharges have occasionally caused damage to
fish farms and riverside areas in Yeoncheon County, 60km northeast of Seoul in
Gyeonggi Province, since the North began building dams in upper waters in 2000.
The latest incident, however, is the first where lives were lost. Three people
were found dead Monday morning, while the others were still missing.
South Korean defense spokesman Won Tae-jae said there was "no sign yet"
indicating the incident was a deliberate attack by the North.
South Korea's alert system was also faulted. Won said an army guard reported
rising water levels early Sunday morning, but the military command failed to
notify the local government, leaving the campers unattended. Flood alert
equipment along the riverside also failed to operate at the time of the incident.
"It appears that the combined civilian and military defense system has not
practiced a scenario like this before," the ministry spokesman said.
The discharge took a heavy toll on weekend vacationers. Five of the victims,
including an 8-year-old boy and his father, were camping 25km south of the
demilitarized zone that bisects the Koreas, while the other was fishing farther
down when they were swept away, according to the Ministry of Land, Transport and
Maritime Affairs that oversees flood-related issues.
Separately, police found the body of what appeared to be a North Korean boy, aged
four or five, that drifted to the South on Sunday.
The Hwanggan Dam, some 40km north of the border, was reportedly completed in 2007
to produce electricity and provide water for agricultural and industrial
purposes. It is believed to hold up to 400 million tons of water, said Lee
Jae-wook, a spokesman for the state-run Korea Water Resources Corp.
The incident has reignited criticism of North Korea among conservatives in the
South. The case may become a new thorn in inter-Korean relations, which have been
improving with a string of conciliatory steps by the North last month.
"If the North discharged the water without a warning because it doesn't care
whether campers in the South die, that would be an inhumane provocation," Ahn
Sang-soo, floor leader of the ruling Grand National Party, said.
Some watchers were critical of the way South Korea responded. Apart from the
failure in its alert systems, the government stopped short of proposing
inter-Korean dialogue over the recurring floodwaters.
"The South Korean government, instead of actively seeking solutions through
dialogue, is appealing to the North for a positive response. I wonder how much
this kind of approach will ... produce practical solutions," Cheong Seong-chang,
a North Korea expert with the non-governmental Sejong Institute, said.
The Koreas have no formal accord on controlling the floodgates. At inter-Korean
talks in recent years, Seoul has repeatedly asked for pre-notification, but the
two sides have not been able to settle on technical procedures.
Responding to a protest letter from Seoul in 2005 when a water discharge from the
North swept away South Korean fishing nets, Pyongyang explained that its dam
water is "naturally released when it reaches the maximum height," according to
the Unification Ministry.
There have been no consultations on the matter since the conservative Lee
Myung-bak government came to power in Seoul last year.
hkim@yna.co.kr
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)