Thousands hit by North Korea floods as Kim calls 'emergency'

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - SEOUL — Record-breaking rain left thousands of people stranded by floods in North Korea over the weekend, prompting leader Kim Jong Un to declare an "emergency", state media reports.

Photographs show submerged farmland and homes after heavy rain hit Sinuiju city and Uiju county, which border China, according to the Rodong Sinmun.

State media said many were later rescued by airlift, although the BBC is unable to independently verify details of the report.

Such natural disasters are likely to compound existing issues like food scarcity and poor infrastructure in North Korea.

The secretive state - which is perhaps better known for concealing negative issues happening within its borders to the outside world - appears to have been relatively open about this latest disaster, with the official newspaper noting it was a "grave crisis".

However, the report did not mention any casualty figures. It did say more than 4,200 North Korean residents were evacuated after "over 10 planes made as many as 20 consecutive round-trip flights".

Even more unusual were the photographs of Kim travelling through floodwaters in a black Lexus, according to Gordon Kang, a senior North Korean analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

Previously, senior leaders fronted disaster management, Mr Kang pointed out. The pictures of Kim amounted to "never-before-seen imagery".

State media were also keen to say Kim had "personally directed the battle", adding that he had declared parts of three provinces as "special disaster emergency zones".

"Kim Jong Un is putting himself out there and demonstrating that the state is able to provide for its people," Mr Kang explained to the BBC.

He noted the rescue efforts seen in this instance were also noticeably more extensive than those seen after previous disasters.

"North Korea is able to do more because it has strengthened its relationships with China and Russia. It now has more resources to back up its rhetoric," he added.

It is difficult to get an accurate picture of what is happening in North Korea, as state media reports - which are almost exclusively directed at its own population - typically only publish information putting the country or its leader in a positive light.

Flooding is not uncommon in North Korea. In fact, seasonal rains and monsoons have made floods a yearly affair, according to Mr Kang.

Such floods are exacerbated by major deforestation in its mountains and hills.

There are fears these could cripple North Korea's agricultural sector - that is already limited in size because of its mountainous terrain.

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

That said, the actual situation and numbers are unclear, given North Korea's opaque economy. — BBC