Regular Briefing by Spokesperson Koo Byoungsam
Date: Monday,
July 17, 2023
Time: 10:30-10:35 A.M.
1. Minister’s Schedule
On July 18, Unification Minister Kwon Youngse will attend the
cabinet meeting at 10 A.M.
2. Vice Minister’s Schedule
On July 20, Vice Minister Moon Seoung-hyun will attend the vice
minister’s conference at 10 A.M., and attend a course completion
ceremony held at the National Institute for Unification Education to
deliver congratulatory remarks at 6:30 P.M.
3. Q&A
Q) Could you confirm the number of North Korean defectors that
entered South Korea for the first half of this year?
A) We have not received the total numbers yet, but will let you know soon.
Q) Given that it has been raining a lot in North Korea, have you
gotten any statistics on the damage?
A) Through its recent media reports on downpour and rain forecasts,
North Korea has emphasized minimizing damage during the rainy season.
Today's report of the Rodong Sinmun and the KCNA also indicated that
premier Kim Tok Hun visited several regions, including South Hwanghae
province and Nampo, to take measures to protect crops. However, not
much specific details are revealed on the damage by rainfalls in North Korea.
On June 30, the Government officially requested that the North
notify prior to the release of water to prevent flooding in the
inter-Korean border area during the rainy season.
I would like
to take this opportunity to once again urge the North to take sincere
measures to prevent any possible damages caused by the North’s
unannounced releases.
Meanwhile, the Government is closely monitoring precipitation near
the border and making every effort to cooperate with relevant agencies
to prevent flood damage.
Q) You requested again for a prior notice when discharging water.
Could you clarify which dams you meant, for example whether it is only
the Hwanggang Dam on the Imjin River, or it includes the Bukhan River?
A) In general, we understand that it is an international norm to
notify discharges for dams in the shared rivers. However, we are
paying a little more attention to the Hwanggang Dam, where a fatal
accident occurred in 2009.
