**North Korean Leader: Thousands of Flood Victims to Be Relocated to the Capital**
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stated that the country will not seek external aid for recovery from the floods that devastated areas near the border with China. Instead, officials have been instructed to relocate thousands of displaced individuals to the capital, Pyongyang, for better care. Kim mentioned that it will take approximately two to three months to rebuild homes and stabilize the affected areas. In the interim, his government plans to accommodate around 15,400 people—including mothers, children, the elderly, and disabled soldiers—in facilities in Pyongyang, according to the official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday.
The agency reported that Kim made these comments during a two-day visit to the city of Oiju in the northwest of the country, which concluded on Friday. The visit was intended to meet with flood victims and discuss recovery efforts. The agency praised Kim, stating that the visit demonstrated his “sacred leadership” and “warm love and noble spirit in serving the people.”
Official reports indicated that heavy rains in late July led to the inundation of 4,100 homes, 7,410 acres of farmland, and numerous public buildings, structures, roads, and railways in the city of Sinuiiju and the neighboring city of Oiju. North Korea has not provided information on the death toll, but Kim blamed local leaders for failing to implement disaster prevention measures, resulting in “unacceptable losses.”
Traditional allies Russia and China, as well as international relief organizations, have offered to provide aid to North Korea, but the North has not publicly expressed a desire to receive it. Kim, in expressing gratitude to various foreign countries and international organizations for their offers of humanitarian support, emphasized that the best approach in all state affairs is to rely on the people’s solid trust and address issues comprehensively based on self-reliance.
Kim made similar statements earlier in the week after Russian President Vladimir Putin offered assistance, expressing gratitude but stating that the North had its own rehabilitation plans and would only seek Moscow’s help if necessary later. Despite South Korea’s offer to send aid, it is highly unlikely that the North will accept it, given the heightened tensions between the Koreas due to North Korea’s expanding nuclear ambitions and South Korea’s increased joint military exercises with the United States and Japan.
North Korea also rejected South Korea’s offers of assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. During his recent visit to Oiju, Kim reiterated his accusations that South Korea exaggerated the flood damage and casualties in North Korea, condemning it as a “smear campaign” and a “serious provocation” against his government. Some South Korean media reports suggest that the flood damage in North Korea might be worse than officially acknowledged, with the death toll potentially exceeding 1,000.
By/radwa sherif ✏️✏️📚