N. Korea `regrets` flooding deaths

North Korea expressed regrets over the death of six South Koreans in a flash flood caused by an unannounced release of water from a dam north of the border early last month.

Seoul accepted it as an apology during working-level talks in the North`s border town of Gaeseong yesterday, clearing the latest stumbling block in inter-Korean relations which went from cold to lukewarm in recent months.

"The North`s officials expressed regrets over the loss of life caused by the discharge of water from Hwanggang Dam and paid condolences to the victims` families," said Kim Nam-shik, Unification Ministry`s director general who headed the South Korean team at the talks.

"They also explained that the relevant agency had no choice but to release the water in haste in order to prevent bigger damage."

The apology was made during the morning round of the talks, followed by a 15-minute session in the afternoon where the two sides agreed to hold follow-up meetings on how to prevent floods and set rules on joint use of shared watercourses.



Three South Korean officials - Kim and bureau directors from the unification and land ministries - sat for the talks with the North Korean team of three led by Rhee Young-ho, director at a North Korean agency that oversees economic exchanges with the South.

"We demanded the North give us prior notice before discharging water and the North said they will do so in the future," Kim said in a press briefing after the talks.

The North had already said the same thing in a letter sent on Sept. 7, a day after the accident.

"We gave them a form for prior notice that requires the name of the dam, amount of water to be released and reason for the discharge," Kim said.

"There are technical aspects to establishing a system for flood prevention, so the two sides agreed to continue discussions."

Seoul also presented three principles on joint use of shared watercourses - reasonable and fair use, cooperation and trust, he said.

Pyongyang began to warm up towards Seoul following former U.S. president Bill Clinton`s visit in August, ending a year-and-half of bashing President Lee Myung-bak for his policy of linking North Korean nuclear activities with inter-Korean ties.

The change of stance in Pyongyang led to the recent resumption of inter-Korean family reunions and the South`s proposal on Monday for working-level talks, to which the North readily agreed.

Five adults and a child were swept away by the flash flood on Sept. 6 while camping or fishing near the mouth of Imjin River in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, after North Korea opened its Hwanggam Dam without notice at predawn hours.

There have been unannounced dam discharges by the North almost every year, but this year`s was the first to claim human lives. The body of a North Korean boy, apparently another victim of the flood, drifted down along the river and was later returned to the North.

(sophie@heraldm.com)



By Kim So-hyun