North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-Un visited several regions of the country that have been devastated by massive flooding after days of torrential rains. The events have flooded hundreds of residential areas and agricultural lands.
Compassionate leader
While it is a rare occurrence for the supreme leader to visit flood-stricken regions, he had done so previously in September 2015 when he monitored the recovery work conducted at a northeastern city that was struck by massive floods.
According to AP News, Kim's recent visit to the areas in an attempt to strengthen his image of a caring leader to his people's well-being amid North Korea's economic struggles due to the coronavirus pandemic situation in the country.
The global outbreak had forced North Korea to close its borders to its biggest trade partner, China, in early January. Massive floods and the economic impacts they bring could worsen the nation's issues.
On Friday, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Supreme Leader Kim inspected the town in the province of North Hwanghae where a rainstorm caused a water levee to give way.
The agency said that damage to the levee caused the flooding of at least 730 single-floored residences, the inundation of more than 600-hectares of rice field, and the destruction of 179 housing blocks in the Unpha County but no casualties were reported.
The KCNA reported the North Korean leader ordered for the government to aid the citizens in the region and to give the ones who have lost their homes a temporary shelter and supply them with rations that they would take from Kim's own reserves.
North Korea is frequently the victim of substantial flood damage due to inadequate drainage, deforestation and dilapidated infrastructure. The province of North Hwanghae is one of the country's central agricultural regions, as reported by US News.
While Kim's visit to the flood-stricken region, the KCNA did not report any other possible related damages in other parts of the country and did not mention the date the visit was conducted.
Cooperation with South Korea
Spokeswoman Cho Hyesil of the Unification Ministry in Seoul told reporters that South Korea maintains its policy of working with North Korea in addressing non-political issues such as natural disasters. She said the South Korean government was keeping a watchful eye on the situation in North Korea but did not mention whether it would assist its neighbor.
Relationship between the two countries has been on the decline amid rising tensions from several issues, including North Korea's nuclear program and border problems where defectors from the north have previously spread anti-DPRK leaflets.
Neighboring countries have also been hit hard by powerful rainstorms, including South Korea and China. The events have led to the deaths of 17 people in the South, and at least 130 Chinese citizens have either died or gone missing.
According to Yahoo, this year's floods have been incredibly impactful in China as official records show more than 43 million people being affected across the country.
