By Minwoo Park and Josh Smith
SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korea’s premier inspected areas of the country hit by floods, state media reported on Thursday, as new rounds of heavy rain struck towns along the east coast and raised concerns about damage to crops.
Kim Tok Hun, premier of North Korea’s cabinet, toured areas of South Hamgyong Province, speaking to troops and other emergency responders mobilised to help repair the damage, state news agency KCNA reported.
“Learning about the living conditions of the flood victims, he stressed the need for the officials of the province to relieve the troubles of the victims in time while sharing pain with them,” KCNA said.
In June, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said the country faced a “tense” food situation https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkoreas-kim-says-food-situation-tense-due-pandemic-typhoons-2021-06-15, citing the coronavirus pandemic and last year’s typhoons, and the new wave of storms has raised concerns about food shortages.
On Sunday, he mobilised the military https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/nkoreas-kim-calls-relief-campaign-rain-hit-areas-2021-08-08 to carry out relief work in areas recently hit by heavy rains.
State broadcaster KRT reported some areas of North Hamgyong Province had been hit with as much as 300mm (11.8 inches) of new rain on Wednesday.
“Downpours have already hit these regions, so we need to prepare thorough countermeasures,” a KRT presenter said.
“Measures for houses, buildings, crop fields, power plants, roads, railroads, and riverbanks are especially needed to prevent damage from landslides caused by floods.”
(Reporting by Minwoo Park and Josh Smith; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)