North Korea’s investigation into the recent Yalu River flooding criticizes the management of the jointly operated Supung Dam, suggesting its ally China bears significant responsibility for the disaster.
Speaking anonymously, a Daily NK source in Pyongyang said North Korean authorities formed an investigative committee after leader Kim Jong Un toured flood-damaged areas and convened an emergency meeting in Sinuiju.
The committee, organized and managed by the Central Committee’s justice department, is probing flood causes in North Pyongan, Jagang and Ryanggang provinces.
A preliminary report submitted on Aug. 11 indicated the Supung Dam’s floodgate opening caused sudden river swelling, breaching levees in Sinuiju’s Sangdan and Hadan villages. While other parts of Sinuiju experienced minor flooding, these villages and Ryucho village were completely inundated.
“An intensive investigation is underway into the dam’s automated floodgate system and opening timing,” the source said.
The report highlighted the need to reassess water resource management, noting North Korea receives only 20% of the dam’s electricity output, while China gets 80%. This disparity suggests China should bear greater responsibility for dam management.
The investigation revealed complacency worsened flood damage. North Pyongan province’s emergency response team believed they could adjust water levels even after the Supung Dam’s discharge reached China’s downstream Taipingwan Dam.
University students in Sinuiju hastily repaired collapsed levees in Sangdan and Hadan villages in June without proper supplies. The levees were made of student-supplied sacks filled with earth and reinforced with grass,” the source said. This temporary fix was vulnerable to flooding.”
North Pyongan province officials claim the flooding was unavoidable due to record-breaking rainfall.
The final report on the impact of the flooding, expected later this month, will include damage estimates, causes of levee collapse, management issues at Supung Dam, power distribution with China, and improvement recommendations.
Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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