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Korea Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Seoul finds no radiation risk in suspected North Korean discharge
South Korea said Friday it has not found any unusual levels of radioactivity or heavy metal concentrations at various sites near the inter-Korean border, which was suspected of being contaminated by a reported wastewater release from a North Korean uranium refining plant. Seoul's Unification Ministry confirmed in a press briefing that there 'were no abnormalities found' after running contamination tests for two radioactive nuclides -- uranium, cesium -- and five heavy metals -- cadmium, arsenic, mercury, lead and hexavalent chromium. The tests were conducted over the past two weeks at 10 sites near Ganghwa Island and the Han River estuary. Both Ganghwa Island and the Han River estuary are located near the Ryesong River in the North, where Pyongyang is suspected of dumping waste from a uranium refining plant in Pyongsan County. The tests were conducted jointly by the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment. Uranium concentrations at six of the 10 locations near Ganghwa Island and Gimpo were found to be similar to levels recorded in 2019. They ranged from 0.135 to 1.993 parts per billion over the past two weeks, compared with 0.59 to 1.97 ppb in 2019. Uranium concentrations at the remaining four locations, including the Han River estuary and Incheon, were also at normal levels, ranging from 0.087 to 3.211 ppb. The average uranium concentration in the Han River stood at 0.31 ppb in 2019, while the maximum allowed uranium level in drinking water is 30 ppb. The level of cesium at all ten sites was below the threshold of minimum detectable activity, or MDA, which is the smallest amount of radioactivity that a measuring instrument or system can reliably detect above the background radiation level. It was also below the five-year average of cesium found in the West Sea. Chang Yoon-jeong, deputy spokesperson at the Unification Ministry, stressed, however, that the tests do not prove whether the North actually released uranium wastewater. The government plans to perform monthly monitoring of contamination levels at seven of the 10 major sites. The latest contamination test was launched in early July after a news report raised speculation that North Korea may have dumped wastewater from a uranium refining plant in Pyongsan County into a nearby river.
Straits Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
South Korea asks North to alert before releasing dam water
Isolated and impoverished, North Korea is especially vulnerable to natural disasters and has taken measures to prevent flooding. PHOTO: REUTERS SEOUL - South Korea's unification ministry on June 27 requested North Korea give prior notice when releasing water from a dam across the border, with Seoul citing humanitarian grounds. Isolated and impoverished, North Korea is especially vulnerable to natural disasters and has taken measures to prevent flooding – including releasing water from a dam near its southern border, which has raised safety and flooding concerns in South Korea. According to Seoul's unification ministry, which oversees its relations with the North, six South Koreans died in 2009 after Pyongyang released water without prior notice. The issue is 'directly related to the safety of our citizens living in border areas', Ms Chang Yoon-jeong, the ministry's deputy spokesperson, told reporters. 'Joint response to natural disasters is a humanitarian issue, and the South and the North have agreed several times to cooperate to prevent flood damage,' she said. 'Accordingly, we request that the North notify us in advance when releasing water from the dam on humanitarian grounds in order to prevent flood damage in the border area ... during the rainy season.' North Korea was hit by severe flooding in its northern regions near the Chinese border in 2025 , with state media reporting that more than 15,000 flood victims had to be relocated to the capital. South Korea's President Lee Jae-myung, who took office in June , has vowed a more dovish approach towards Pyongyang compared with his hawkish predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol. Mr Lee has said he would seek talks with the North following a deep freeze under Yoon when relations plummeted to their worst level in years. The Lee administration has halted the loudspeaker broadcasts – including K-pop tunes and international news – that Seoul had begun in 2024 in response to a barrage of trash-filled balloons flown southward by Pyongyang. In turn, a day after, North Korea stopped transmitting bizarre, unsettling noises along the border that had been a major nuisance for South Korean residents in the area. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
