Heavy downpours continued to soak South and North Korea on Friday as tropical storm Khanun swept over the peninsula after pummeling Japan, putting Pyongyang on high alert for flood damage.
The storm weakened into a tropical depression as it crossed into North Korea overnight, and military and ruling party officials were mobilized to minimize its impact on the country's fragile economy.
In some parts of South Korea, cumulative rainfall has topped 400 mm (15.8 inches) since Thursday with maximum wind speeds of 126 km per hour (78 miles per hour), flooding villages, schools and roads.
Almost 16,000 people were evacuated, but about 60% of them had returned home as of 6 a.m. (2155 GMT Thursday), and about 350 flights and 450 train routes were cancelled, according to the interior ministry.
One person was missing in the southeastern city of Daegu after falling into a river in a wheelchair, and another person was reported dead in the same city, but the ministry said neither case was directly linked to the storm.
The 37,000 youngsters participating in the World Scout Jamboree, who moved out of their campsite over typhoon concerns on Tuesday, are scheduled to wrap up their trip with a K-pop concert on Friday.
"We need to prepare measures to quickly and sufficiently provide support to people affected by the typhoon and meticulous support to minimize inconvenience for evacuated residents," President Yoon Suk Yeol told officials, according to his office.
With a lack of infrastructure and deforestation exacerbating flood risks, North Korea has been bracing for the storm, scrambling to head off damage and salvage crops.
The Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers' Party's mouthpiece, reported on Friday that officials were ordered to implement a round-the-clock disaster emergency response system and devise evacuation plans.
It published photos of officials in raincoats inspecting ports and rivers and farmers preparing fields.
"We must make utmost efforts to protect farmlands and crops from the impact of typhoons," the newspaper said.
© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023.
7 Comments
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theFu
Flooding like this leaves behind nasty diseases ... and a smell that gets into everything. NK should concentrate on specific priorities with humans at the top of the list. Then work down the basic, human, needs, for the next priorities. Food, animals related to food and food production would be high on that priority list too.
With their huge army, NK should have plenty of manpower. Since China is also greatly impacted, I hope any aid can get sent to NK to save human lives. Previously, when outsiders have offered, it was refused. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-dismisses-us-humanitarian-aid-sinister-scheme-2021-07-12/ Same from SK aid. Refused.
EFD
Golly,
If only they had the goodwill of the international community OR the hard currency with which to purchase food on the international market.
Sadly they lack either because the spent all the latter on nuclear weapons and delivery systems to counter a non-existent threat.
So fat boi will have to handle this one alone in his normal competent manner.
Rodney
They are strong. We should send aid.
EFD
Be my guest, "Rodney".
Send your Yuan, Rubes and crypto on over. Lets see just how much of it goes to food aid and how much (100%) goes to high-end booze for the glutton in chief.
Sal Affist
Chumps like Uncle Sam will offer aid anyway. The US has given more than $2B in aid to the Taliban since the US fled Afghanistan. Someone in the Biden Administration will think that offering unconditional humanitarian aid will somehow make Rocket Man and his Twisted Sister become nice and friendly.
theFu
@Sal Affist -- there's a point where someone in need will hopefully get aid even with all the graft at the top. 50% of the US citizens would do anything to save a human life, regardless of the outcome and middlemen. They are called "bleeding heart liberals" for a reason. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, just the way things are. Some people have more compassion than sense and other people have more hatred than compassion. Hopefully, they mix together in the political decisions and we get the best, compassionate, but not stupid, solutions.
Who am I kidding? We'd never be so lucky.
Desert Tortoise
More distortions. The US funds relief groups and UN agencies operating outside of the official Afghan government.