State media reported on Monday that North Korea utilized military helicopters to rescue thousands of people stranded in a flood-affected area.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) stated that leader Kim Jong Un personally led a military rescue operation last week, which included 10 helicopters and navy lifeboats. Kim also took the time to shake the hands of the pilots individually.
The report mentioned that Kim reprimanded officials for their inadequate preparation and response to the recent heavy rains, despite prior directives to bolster the country’s defenses against natural disasters.
Last week, North Korea held a crisis response meeting to devise strategies to mitigate the impact of natural calamities on agriculture.
The country has been grappling with unprecedented levels of rainfall, with Kaesong City experiencing a record-breaking 463 mm (18.2 inches) of rain in a single day in July. South Korea’s meteorological administration noted that this was the highest amount recorded in the North in nearly three decades.
Due to its fragile infrastructure and deforested landscapes, natural disasters have a more severe impact on North Korea, leaving it susceptible to flooding.
Efforts have been made to prevent floods, such as releasing water from a dam near the inter-Korean border. However, this action has raised concerns about potential flooding in South Korea.
In early July, South Korea’s environment ministry stated that North Korea likely discharged water from the Hwanggang Dam near the border without prior notification, a departure from their recent practices.
Relations between the two Koreas have reached a low point, with Pyongyang severing all official military and political communication links with Seoul in 2020. Additionally, they demolished a disused inter-Korean liaison office on their side of the border and have not been responding to inter-Korean hotline calls since April 2023.
hs/ceb/fox
