Sejong, July 04 - The Ministry of Environment (ME, Minister Han Wha-jin) installed a large rainfall radar at the top of Gamaksan Mountain, which can observe rainfall in the border areas, including the Imjingang River and the Hantangang River. The Ministry held an opening ceremony on June 29, which was attended by approximately fifty people, including the Vice Minister of Environment Yoo Je-chul, Mayor of Paju-city Choi Jong-hwan, officials from related organizations, and residents.

The meteorological observatory, known initially as the Imjingang River Rainfall Radar Observatory, was previously installed for the first time in South Korea in 2001 in Ganghwado, Incheon. Due to outworn equipment, it was upgraded and then moved to Gamaksan Mountain, north of the inland area. The project took three years, with an investment of KRW 17.3 billion. The observatory, with a total area of 1,691m2, including two basement levels and five above-ground levels, is equipped with radar observation and public office facilities. It makes the most of its space by installing the communication equipment for related organizations (e.g., the 25th Infantry Division, Central Radio Management Service, local governments) on the interior and exterior of the building. With a frequency of 2,791 MHz and a maximum output of 750 kW, the radar is precise enough to observe even the sizes of raindrops, using the dual-polarization observation that simultaneously emits horizontal and vertical radio waves.

Unlike a weather radar, which aims to observe weather changes, such as typhoons, a rainfall radar is used to forecast floods through intensive observation of rainfall amount close to the earth's surface within a 125 km radius by area unit. The Gamaksan Mountain Rainfall Radar Observatory can intensively observe the rainfall in the upper Imjingang River area, which had been difficult to watch using the old Imjingang River Rain Radar. As the radar can provide information on floods in the border area, as well as the precipitation and floods of major rivers, prompt preparations for flash floods have become possible. This information is jointly used with related organizations such as local governments, the Korea Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Korea National Park Service while being provided immediately to the public through emergency disaster text messages, the Flood Control Office website, and flood apps.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment operates seven large rainfall radars at the Biseulsan, Sobaeksan, Seodaesan, Mohusan, Garisan, Yebongsan, and Gamaksan (previously Imjingang River) Mountains, as well as two small rainfall radars at Samcheok-si and Uljin-gun, to observe rainfall nationwide. By 2025, seven additional small rainfall radars will be installed in the cities of Ulsan, Busan, Gwangju, Jeonju, Daejeon, Cheongju, and Sejong, to predict flash floods in downtown areas.

Vice Minister of Environment Yoo Je-chul stated, "The Gamaksan Rainfall Radar Observatory is expected to improve the quality of rainfall data. The rainfall radar and satellite will monitor North Korea's discharge of dams so that those data can prevent flood damage in the northern Gyeonggi region, including Paju and Yeoncheon." He added, "The Ministry of Environment will do its best not only to prevent flood damage but also to respond to water shortages, such as droughts, through producing high-quality hydrological data.”

Contact: Han Byung-sun, Deputy Director

Water Resource Policy Division / +82-(0)43-714-7544 

Foreign Media Contact: Chun Minjo(Rachel)

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr