Thousands stranded as Kim declares ‘state of emergency’

Record-breaking rainfall left thousands stranded by flooding in North Korea over the weekend, forcing leader Kim Jong Un to declare a “state of emergency”, state media reported.

Photos showed flooded farmland and homes after heavy rain hit Sinuiju city and Uiju county, which border China, according to the Rodong Sinmun newspaper.

State media reported that many people were later rescued by air, although the BBC could not independently verify the details of this report.

Such natural disasters could exacerbate existing problems such as food shortages and poor infrastructure in North Korea.

The secretive state – perhaps better known for hiding the negative issues happening within its borders from the outside world – appears to be quite open about this latest disaster, with the official newspaper noting that it is a “serious crisis”.

However, the report did not mention any casualty figures. It said more than 4,200 North Korean residents were evacuated after “more than 10 planes made up to 20 consecutive round-trip flights.”

Even more unusual are the photos of Mr. Kim traveling through floodwaters in a black Lexus, according to Gordon Kang, a senior North Korea analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Previously, senior leaders had been in charge of disaster management, Mr Kang pointed out. Mr Kim’s photos were “unprecedented imagery”.

State media also wanted to report that Mr Kim had “personally directed the battle”, adding that he had declared parts of the three provinces “special emergency disaster zones”.

“Kim Jong Un is showing off and proving that the country is capable of providing for its people,” Mr Kang explained to the BBC.

He noted that the rescue efforts in this case were also significantly more extensive than those following previous disasters.

“North Korea can do more because they have strengthened their relationships with China and Russia. They now have more resources to back up their rhetoric,” he added.

It is difficult to get an accurate picture of what is going on in North Korea, as state media – aimed almost exclusively at the country’s own people – typically only publish positive coverage of the country or its leader.

Flooding is not uncommon in North Korea. In fact, seasonal rains and monsoons have made flooding an annual problem, according to Kang.

Such floods are made worse by rampant deforestation in the mountains and hills.

There are concerns that this could cripple North Korea’s agricultural sector – which is already limited in scale due to the mountainous terrain.

North Korea is one of the poorest countries in the world. Recent estimates are scarce, but CIA World Factbook Estimates The country’s per capita gross domestic product was around $1,700 in 2015.

However, the actual situation and figures remain unclear due to North Korea’s opaque economy.