Radio Free Asia reports that North Korea appears to have released water from a dam, despite South Korea's request for advance notification in such an event in order to prevent flooding in border areas. 

The report said that satellite imagery taken on July 20 by Planet Labs likely shows the regime partially opening the floodgates at Hwanggang Dam and releasing water, three days after Seoul made a repeated request for prior notice.

Images suggest the dam also discharged water on July 24 and more floodgates were open on July 27.

A researcher at the Korea Institute for Security Strategy said the latest release appears to be aimed at adjusting the water level as the dam reservoir is nearly at full level and is not expected to cause flooding in downstream areas.

Seoul's unification ministry asked for prior notice from Pyongyang first on June 30 which went unanswered and repeated the call on July 17.

Release of Hwanggang Dam seriously impacts water levels in South Korea's Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province near the inter-Korean border. 

In 2009, an announced release by the North claimed six lives in Yeoncheon after which the two Koreas agreed on the notification rule but the North observed it only through 2010.