So, as we all know, things aren't great with North Korea at the moment. Whether it's the petty insults, aggressive rhetoric, or launching of nuclear missiles, Kim Jong-un seems dead set on winding up the entire world with no clear end game in sight. In all seriousness, it's difficult to know what the North Korean leader is genuinely trying to achieve at the moment, as surely if it did come down to an all out war, the consequences are dire to consider.
One country that the North seems intent on annoying more than America, is South Korea. Kim Jong-un has been pretty vocal of his disapproval surrounding the relationship between South Korea and America, particularly the fact that they are currently undergoing joint military training, something which they do every year.
Unsurprisingly, Kim Jong-un sees this training as provocative and has responded as he always does, by doing something very strange. In the past, when the US and South Korea have teamed up for military training, the North has tested missiles and issued aggressive rhetoric in order to try and intimidate them. This time though, there were no weapons fired, or declarations of war, but the North have just broken a fairly longstanding agreement between them and their sister country.
North Korea has opened the Hwanggang dam (a border dam) without any warning, causing water levels in the South the rise dangerously. It's not the first time that the country has done this, having done it in 2009, killing six people in the process. However, after that incident occurred, the two countries came to an understanding that North Korea would inform the South in advance if they're planning on opening the dam, but they seem to have gone against this agreement.
A sudden opening of the reservoir can have a devastating effect on the surrounding areas. Opening the dam sends water rushing into the Imjon River, posing a major threat to those living in the low lying border areas. South Korea's military noticed the release on Monday, and it is being reported that North Korea still haven't been in touch about the reasons behind it.
Water levels under the Pilseung Bridge rose to 5.97 meters as of 5pm on Monday, according to the Korean Herald. However, it is considered a crisis if water levels reach 7.5 meters, which hopefully won't happen anytime soon.
Whether this was a purposeful move by North Korea to wind up their neighbours is a matter of pure speculation. One thing is certain though, this will only increase the tensions between the countries and the US, who will surely take the side of their southern allies.
The rest of the world seems to be waiting with bated breath as to what the next move by the North is going to be, especially given the latest military drills by the US and the South, which have annoyed Kim Jong-un and North Korea,
