North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un inspects typhoon-hit areas, announces recovery plan

On September 5, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured the typhoon hit coastal areas and announced recovery efforts, urging the 12,000 core party members to join the mission, state-run television KRT reported. Footages of Kim, walking and gauging the extent of damage in the typhoon-hit area were aired live, as afterward, he convened a meeting with North Korean officials, denouncing the provincial party chief of vague response to the tenth typhoon of the season, according to Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reports. 

More than 1,000 homes were reported demolished and infrastructure in the coastal areas of South and North Hamgyong provinces was completely battered in the storm. The farmland and public buildings were in ruins. Kim on September 5 drafted measures that an executive policy committee meeting that required the forces to carry out rebuilding efforts and material transport. Further, Kim dismissed the chairman of the South Hamyong provincial party committee and appointed a new chair.

North Korean government has pledged to punish officials who have failed to protect the residents from Typhoon Maysak, according to Rodong Sinmun, a state-run newspaper. Earlier this week, heavy rainfall and turbulent winds inundated in the eastern town of Wonsan in Kangwon province as seen in footages aired live by the state broadcasters. The North Korean government resolved to address any “irresponsible” handling of the calamity. Meanwhile, dozens of casualties were reported as officials failed to “immediately” evacuate the areas in the path of the typhoon as had been ordered by the Workers' Party of Korea, headed by leader Kim Jong Un. 

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According to state-run news agency reports, Ahn Chan-il, a defector turned researcher based in Seoul said that severe party, administrative, and legal punishment was a way North Korean leadership to shift the blame and not take responsibility for failure. It goes to show that Kim Jong Un never did anything wrong, it was in fact, the officials that failed to follow his order. A state-run Rodong Sinmun daily released the photos of Kim examining rice paddies, corn, and bean crops in South Hwanghae province in the aftermath of heavy rainfall and flooding. Ap quoted him as saying that thankfully, damage from the Typhoon wasn’t severe. Further, he praised ruling party organizations and government officials for implementing measures that reduced the damage,  North’s Korean Central News Agency and Rodong Sinmun reported. 

“Kim urged for efforts toward “minimizing the damage in the agricultural field in particular and reduction in the harvest by making a correct examination of the crop damage and taking measures for improving their growth,” KCNA report mentioned.

Kim had "worried a lot"

Further, citing a separate state agency report, AP quoted Kim as saying that the damage was smaller than expected, adding, that “he had worried a lot and he feels it is fortunate.” A Rodong report described the severe flood and storm grounded hundreds of domestic flights and knocked out power for several hours. It added, that the flooding due to the rainfall destroyed crop fields, damaged rice, and toppled corn and beanstalks in South Hwanghae. Near the capital Pyongyang, in South Phyongan province, several buildings had crippled down due to havoc wreaked by the typhoon. 

[North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, second from right, holds corn during his visit to a western coastal area in South Hwanghae province, North Korea, where Typhoon Bavi made landfall. Credit: AP]

[North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center, speaks during his visit to a western coastal area in South Hwanghae province, North Korea, where Typhoon Bavi made landfall. Credit: AP]

[A groundskeeper inspects fallen trees from a typhoon on the main road in Pyongyang, North Korea. A typhoon damaged homes and other buildings, flooded roads, and toppled utility poles on the Korean Peninsula before weakening to a tropical storm. Credit: AP]

[A bicyclist stops to view fallen trees from a typhoon on the main road in Pyongyang, North Korea. Credit: AP]

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