Heavy rains in northwestern North Korea have led to the isolation of over 5,000 people due to flooding. In response, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen evacuation efforts involving military helicopters and navy and government boats.Heavy rains in northwestern North Korea have led to the isolation of over 5,000 people due to flooding. In response, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has overseen evacuation efforts involving military helicopters and navy and government boats. According to state media, KCNA, around 10 military helicopters were deployed to airlift residents from the isolated towns of Sinuiju and Uiju. Each helicopter made multiple trips despite adverse weather conditions, successfully rescuing 4,200 individuals. Kim Jong Un personally led the evacuation efforts on Sunday, ordering the distribution of food and supplies to those affected. He also expressed gratitude for the “miraculous” rescue work and acknowledged the challenges posed by summer floods in North Korea. The floods have been attributed to poor drainage, deforestation, and dilapidated infrastructure. Kim criticized authorities for complacency and emphasized the importance of disaster prevention. KCNA also reported that Kim criticized the emergency services and the Ministry of Public Security for not having accurate information on the population of the affected areas, which led to a higher-than-expected number of rescues. Observers suggest that Kim’s criticism may be an attempt to shift blame while portraying himself as a leader concerned about the well-being of his people.
More than 5,000 people isolated by flooding in northwestern North Korea have been rescued by airlifts and other evacuation efforts overseen by leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported Monday.
Heavy rain on Saturday caused a river on the North Korea-China border to surge above dangerous levels, causing “a serious crisis,” the official Korean News Agency said.
About 10 military helicopters and navy and government boats were mobilized for the evacuation in the towns of Sinuiju and Uiju, where residents were isolated by flooding.
KCNA did not report any deaths or how much damage the floods caused. It said each of its roughly 10 helicopters fought several times to move residents despite the bad weather, eventually rescuing 4,200 of the affected people by airlift.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and other officials in the city of Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province. Photo: AFP/KCNA via KNS
Kim is said to have led evacuation efforts on Sunday, ordered the distribution of food and other supplies to affected people and set tasks for recovery and relief efforts.
According to KCNA, Kim called the rescue work “miraculous” as more than 5,000 people were saved through the efforts.
Summer floods in North Korea often cause severe damage to agricultural land due to poor drainage, deforestation and dilapidated infrastructure.
Typhoons and torrential rains in 2020 were among the difficulties that Kim previously said had created “multiple crises” at home, along with draconian restrictions related to the pandemic and UN sanctions over his nuclear weapons program.
During his weekend visit to the flooded area, Kim also criticized authorities for letting their guard down despite having repeatedly given orders to prevent flood damage, KCNA reported.
“Those who are in the grip of defeatism in their struggle with nature are not confident in disaster prevention work. They only expect an opportunity from the sky,” Kim said, according to KCNA.
Kim stressed that the irresponsible attitude of those responsible for people’s safety should not be overlooked.
He said the North’s emergency services and the Ministry of Public Security did not even know how many people lived in the flood-affected areas, so the number of people rescued was higher than expected.
Observers say Kim’s criticism could be seen as an attempt to shift blame while establishing his own image as a leader who cares about his people as North Korea struggles with economic problems and international isolation.
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