Friendly country hit by severe floods
Floods have hit North Korea. Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to help the DPRK after Kim Jong-un rejected Seoul's offer of assistance. And North Korean state media have accused South Korean media of spreading rumors about flood damage and the number of victims, the West writes.
Russia has promised to provide humanitarian aid to North Korea after devastating floods damaged thousands of homes and left an unknown number of victims. According to reports from South Korea, the number of dead or missing could reach 1,500, The Guardian notes.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered condolences and humanitarian aid after record rainfall on July 27 flooded swathes of farmland in northern China, Russian and North Korean state media reported.
“I ask you to convey words of sympathy and support to all those who lost their loved ones in the storm,” Putin wrote in a telegram to Kim Jong-un, adding that “you can always count on our help and support.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un thanked Putin for the offer but said that since his government had already taken steps to carry out reconstruction work, he would seek help «if help is needed,» state media KCNA reported.
«President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin expressed sincere condolences and support to the Chairman of State Affairs of the DPRK, Comrade Kim Jong-un, and the entire Korean people in connection with the damage in the northwestern part of the DPRK from the flood, as well as readiness to provide immediate humanitarian assistance in eliminating the consequences and recovery,» the KCNA statement said. «On behalf of the government of the DPRK, the WPK, the Korean people and on his own behalf, the esteemed Comrade Kim Jong-un expressed sincere gratitude to President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and the government of the Russian Federation.»
Torrential rains have hit northwestern North Korea in recent days, flooding more than 4,000 homes and isolating 5,000 residents, KCNA reported. State media reported that Kim Jong Un personally inspected flood-damaged areas in the city of Sinuiju and Uiju County, Pyongan Province.
On Saturday, Kim Jong Un accused South Korean media of spreading rumors about flood damage and casualties , a few days after Seoul approached Pyongyang with an offer of humanitarian assistance.
South Korea's government said on Thursday it was ready to «urgently provide» humanitarian aid to «disaster victims in North Korea» after local media reports said the death toll could reach 1,500.
A report by South Korea's Chosun TV, later picked up by other networks, also said rescue workers might have died in a helicopter crash.
Kim Jong Un criticized the reports for «spreading false rumors that the loss of life… is expected to exceed 1,000 or 1,500,» the Korean Central News Agency reported.
The flood reports were «a smear campaign by South Korea to disgrace us and tarnish» the North's image, he added.
North Korea and Russia have been allies since the founding of the DPRK after World War II, but Pyongyang and Moscow have strengthened diplomatic and security ties in recent months, with Kim Jong-un and Putin exchanging visits and signing a “comprehensive strategic partnership” pact in June, The Guardian recalls.
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