The Unification Ministry says it has asked North Korea for advance notice of any possible release of water from a dam close to the inter-Korean border during the monsoon season in the North. 

The ministry said on Tuesday that a verbal request regarding the Hwanggang Dam on the Imjin River near the Demilitarized Zone was made via a military communication line earlier in the day. 

It said the measure was taken to prevent possible losses of the lives of South Koreans living near the border and their properties, noting that advance notification of dam discharge is among the agreements reached between the two Koreas.

The ministry earlier sought to deliver the request through inter-Korean liaison office communication channels, but the North did not respond. A telephone call later in the day got through, but the North did not say whether it would grant the request, the ministry said. A senior ministry official said the communication failure was presumed to be caused by a technical error. 

Speculation is mounting that the North could soon discharge water from Hwanggang Dam due to ongoing torrential rain. 

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, water levels at Pilseung Bridge over the Imjin River had risen to three-point-75 meters as of 1:20 p.m. Tuesday. 

Unification Minister Kwon Young-se visited Gunnam Dam in Yeoncheon County near the North on Tuesday to check on residents and review measures to prevent possible flooding in the region due to the heavy rains in the area.