North Korea: Heavy flooding destroys homes, farmland

North Korea’s premier traveled to flood-stricken areas after new rounds of heavy rain struck towns along the east coast, state media reported on Thursday.

Kim Tok Hun, premier of North Korea’s Cabinet, visited parts of South Hamgyong province and spoke to troops and other emergency responders who had mobilized to help repair flood damage.

Hun said he planned on “learning about the living conditions of the flood victims” and stressed the need for provincial officials to organize flood relief, KCNA news agency reported.

Heavy flooding destroys farmland  

Footage from Pyongyang’s state-run KCTV broadcast on Sunday showed homes flooded up to their roofs, as well as what appeared to be damaged bridges.

The report said that more than a thousand homes were damaged and about 5,000 people were evacuated. “Hundreds of hectares of farmland” were also reported submerged or lost in the province as river levees collapsed.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered financial support for South Hamgyong to aid its recovery. 

Kim said in June that North Korea’s food supply situation was “getting tense” due to lingering damage from a typhoon.

The impact of natural disasters on North Korea is made worse by weak infrastructure and widespread poverty, while deforestation has left it vulnerable to flooding.

• North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures

  Samjiyon, revamped

  North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un (second from right) commemorated the completion of the revamped city of Samjiyon. Kim hailed the city as “an epitome of modern civilization.”

• North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures

  Supposed birthplace of Kim Jong Il

  The Samjiyon township lies near the Paektu Mountain about 15 kilometers (9 miles) away from Yalu River that separates North Korea and China. The site holds a holy status in the country as the apparent birth place of Kim Jong Un’s father and predecessor, Kim Jong Il.

• North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures

  Resort city

  Samjiyon, described as a “mountainous modern city under socialism,” provides housing for 4,000 families, according to state news agency KCNA. The city also features a hospital, cultural facilities and a ski resort.

• North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures

  Big initiative

  The opening of Samjiyon also featured a fireworks display and thunderous jubilation. The city is one of the largest economic initiatives Kim has undertaken as part of his drive for a “self-reliant economy” amid US sanctions.

• North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures

  ‘Ordeals and difficulties’

  State media said the project was completed despite “the worst trials” and “ordeals and difficulties,” without elaborating. Construction was delayed due to shortages on construction materials and labor as a result of international sanctions imposed to curb the country’s nuclear program.

• North Korea’s socialist ‘paradise’ city Samjiyon — in pictures

  Youth labor brigade

  The delays in construction prompted Pyongyang to mobilize youth labor brigades. North Korean defectors and human rights activists likened the initiative to “slave labor” as the participants got no pay, poor food and were forced to work more than 12 hours a day for up to 10 years. The return for the labor was better chances to enter a university or admission to the powerful Workers’ Party.

  Author: Davis VanOpdorp

International sanctions over the North Korean regime’s nuclear weapons program have isolated the country. 

North suffered from a nationwide famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands of people. 

Rain continues 

As North Korea’s premier toured South Hamgyong, as much as 300 millimeters (11.8 inches) of new rain fell in some areas of North Hamgyong province on Wednesday, state broadcaster KRT reported.

“Downpours have already hit these regions, so we need to prepare thorough countermeasures,” a KRT presenter said.

The presenter called for “measures” for protects homes, other buildings and infrastructure “to prevent damage from landslides caused by floods.”

kmm/wmr (Reuters, AFP)

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/north-korea-heavy-flooding-destroys-homes-farmland/a-58836629?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf