Boots on the ground: Kim (centre) inspecting the rehabilitation projects in the flood-hit areas in North Pyongan province. — AFP
Supreme leader Kim Jong-un visited flood-damaged areas in the country and ordered swift action to rebuild homes, state media reported.
North Korea experienced a record downpour in late July which killed an unspecified number of people, flooded homes and submerged swathes of farmland in its northern regions near China.
Thousands of displaced flood victims were relocated to facilities in the capital while their homes are being rebuilt.
Visiting the construction site, Kim ordered workers “to alleviate the pain of the flood victims as early as possible,” according to the official KCNA news agency yesterday.
Photos from KCNA showed Kim walking through the muddy site and speaking with officials in front of partially built structures.
International offers of support have poured in since news of the flooding disaster first emerged, including from South Korea which offered aid via the Korean Red Cross despite the two countries’ strained relations.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had also offered “immediate humanitarian support” to aid its recovery efforts.
Kim has expressed thanks for the offers of help but refused to accept any foreign aid, saying that the country’s recovery efforts would be “thoroughly based on self-reliance”, according to KCNA. — AFP
