5,000 people rescued from flooding in North Korea in evacuation efforts led by Kim, report says

SEOUL, South Korea -- More than 5,000 people isolated by flooding in northwest North Korea were rescued in airlifts and other evacuation work supervised by leader Kim Jong Un, state media reported Monday.

Heavy rainfall on Saturday had caused a river on the North Korean-Chinese border to exceed a dangerous level and created “a grave crisis," the official Korean Central News Agency said.

About 10 military helicopters and navy and government boats were mobilized for the evacuation efforts in Sinuiju city and Uiju town where flooding had isolated residents.

KCNA did not mention any deaths or how much damage the flooding caused. It said each of the about 10 helicopters made several fights to move the residents despite bad weather, ultimately rescuing 4,200 of the affected people by airlift.

It said Kim guided the evacuation works Sunday, ordered food and other necessities to be provided to affected people, and set tasks for recovery and relief works.

KCNA cited Kim as calling the rescue works “miraculous” as more than 5,000 people were saved through the efforts.

Summer floods in North Korea often cause serious damage to farmlands due to poor drainage, deforestation and dilapidated infrastructure. Typhoons and torrential rains in 2020 were among the difficulties Kim previously said had created “multiple crises” at home, along with draconian pandemic-related restrictions and U.N. sanctions over his nuclear weapons program.

During his weekend visit to the flooded region, Kim also scolded officials for lowering their guard though he had ordered efforts to prevent flood damage more than once, KCNA said.

“They, seized with defeatism at combat with nature, do not confidently turn out in the disaster prevention work, only expecting chance from the sky,” Kim said, according to KCNA.

Kim stressed that the irresponsible attitude of those tasked with ensuring people's safety should not be overlooked. He said the North’s emergency response agency and the Ministry of Public Security didn’t even know the exact populations of the flood-hit areas so the number of people rescued was larger than expected.

Kim’s criticism could be seen as an effort to shift blame while establishing his own image as a leader caring about his people while North Korea struggles with economic difficulties and international isolation, observers say.