Imnam Dam () is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aqua ...

on the

Bukhan River The Bukhan () is a tributary of the Han River that flows through both North and South Korea. It traverses Kangwon Province, North Korea and the Gangwon and Gyeonggi Provinces in South Korea. The Bukhan's headwaters lie in North Korea near Geu ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

, completed in 2003. Construction began in 1986. The dam was immediately seen as a threat by the South Korean government. The Bukhan River is a

tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...

of the Han River, and war scenarios foresaw North Korea releasing flood waters that could engulf the South Korean capital of

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

. Though fears of a "water attack" have diminished, 2002 satellite photos of cracks in the North Korean dam caused fears it could collapse following heavy rains. In September 2005, without warning, North Korea released a massive amount of water from a dam, causing large floods in South Korea. To protect itself against the perceived threat, South Korea built the

Peace Dam The Peace Dam () is a South Korean dam on the Bukhan River. It was built to stave off possible catastrophic flooding should the upstream Imnam Dam in North Korea collapse, either intentionally or by accident. The dam was completed in 2005. As it ...

across the border, 22 miles to the south. Since Imnam Dam was built, water inflow to the Han River has decreased by 12 percent. This has caused environmental problems and water shortages in the Seoul metropolitan area. Imnam Dam is 710 meters wide, 121.5 meters high, and has a claimed capacity of 2.62 billion tons of water.

References

{{Reflist Dams in North Korea Dams completed in 2003 2003 establishments in North Korea Buildings and structures in Kangwon Province