North Korea’s Kim Jong Un takes stock of devastation in flood-damaged areas, orders swift action to rebuild homes – Firstpost

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited flood-hit areas of the country and ordered rapid action to rebuild homes, state media reported Monday.

North Korea experienced a record downpour in late July that killed an unknown number of people, flooded homes and submerged swathes of farmland in its northern regions near China.

Thousands of displaced flood victims have been relocated to facilities in the capital while their homes are rebuilt.

While visiting the construction site, Kim ordered workers “to relieve the pain of flood victims as soon as possible,” according to the official KCNA news agency.

KCNA photos showed Kim walking around the muddy site and speaking with officials in front of partially constructed structures.

This is his third visit to flood-hit areas, after previous appearances showing him holding children, inspecting damage from a canoe and driving through floodwaters in his luxury vehicle.

Offers of international support have poured in since news of the flood disaster broke, including from South Korea, which offered help through the Korean Red Cross despite strained relations between the two countries. .

Russian President Vladimir Putin also offered “immediate humanitarian support” to aid the country’s recovery efforts.

Kim expressed thanks for the aid offers but refused to accept any foreign aid, saying the country’s recovery efforts would be “based entirely on self-reliance,” according to KCNA.