The Peace Dam is a South Korea

South Korea

The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...

n dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

 on the Bukhan River

Bukhan River

The Bukhan River is a tributary of the Han River that flows through both North and South Korea. It traverses Kangwon province in North Korea and Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces in South Korea....

. It was built to stave off possible catastrophic flooding should the upstream Imnam Dam

Imnam Dam

Imnam Dam is a North Korean dam on the Bukhan River, 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 of the Han River, and war scenarios foresaw North Korea releasing flood waters that could...

 in North Korea

North Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...

 collapse, either intentionally or by accident. The dam was completed in 2005. As it stands, the dam has no reservoir, and is merely preventive.

Construction began in 1987, in reaction to a perceived threat following the construction of the Imnam Dam by North Korea. The Bukhan River is a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Han River

Han River (Korea)

The Han River is a major river in South Korea and the fourth longest river on the Korean peninsula after the Amnok, Duman, and Nakdong rivers. It is formed by the confluence of the Namhan River , which originates in Mount Daedeok, and the Bukhan River , which originates on the slopes of Mount...

, and catastrophic scenarios foresaw a flood engulfing the South Korean capital of Seoul

Seoul

Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...

in case of an attack by North Korea. Construction was halted before completion, among allegations that the threat had been grossly exaggerated. Construction resumed after satellite photographs in 2002 revealed the existence of cracks in the Imnam Dam, triggering fears that it could collapse in case of heavy rains.

In September 2005, North Korea released massive quantities of water without warning, causing serious flooding in South Korea.

The Peace Dam is 601 meters wide, 125 meters tall, and capable of holding 2.61 billion tons of water. Its construction cost $429 million.