North Korea has spent August coping with the aftermath of late-July flooding from heavy rains that destroyed river embankments as well as homes and other structures in the northern part of the country. The floods swept away uncounted numbers of people, many of whom are still missing.
Flooding is a perennial problem in the country and the Kim family regime has had eight decades to devise effective ways of dealing with it. The regime has worked on changing the optics but, in substance, it appears that not a lot about its responses has changed. Third-generation leader Kim Jong Un keeps following his grandfather’s and father’s well-thumbed playbook.
In a series of articles published over the course of August by Osaka-based AsiaPress, the regime can be seen to have emphasized once again these playbook responses:
- Mobilize the masses.
- Rebuild with the same old shoddy construction.
- Find scapegoats to blame and punish.
- Turn disaster into Kim personality cult propaganda.
AsiaPress cited state media as having reported that
Kim Jong-un visited the affected areas on July 29, ordering relief and restoration efforts. In Sinuiju and other areas. The military was mobilized and rescued about 5,000 people. While the actual extent of damage is unclear, it appears that there have been significant casualties and flooding of farmland in the affected areas.
AsiaPress keeps in touch with “reporting partners” inside North Korea through Chinese cell phones smuggled into the country. Here is some flood reporting that quotes such a source.
The Hyesan reporting partner belongs to the Socialist Women’s Union of Korea, which is mainly made up of housewives. The local women’s union chapter appealed for donations of relief supplies such as clothing and blankets for flood victims, but “because everyone’s life is difficult, all that was collected by the morning of August 1 were three sets of work clothes, five pairs of old shoes, and one used blanket,” the partner reported.
At a meeting, the local women’s union chapter’s chairwoman got angry, demanding “sincere participation in the support efforts” due to the poor results, but the aid efforts are reportedly lackluster because people who are struggling themselves can only give so much.
Meanwhile, only the families of officials are rushing to donate pots, clothes, rice, and cash, and the reason for this is due to fear, not caring for those in need.
According to state media, Kim Jong Un inspected the disaster-stricken area of Sinuiju on July 29 and July 30, accompanied by top officials of the ruling Workers’ Party. At a meeting, Kim reportedly criticized officials for dereliction of duty and inadequate initial response, saying “unacceptable loss of life occurred” and that they would be “severely punished.” Several officials including the … head of the national police agency were reportedly dismissed.
Upon hearing this news, officials in Ryanggang Province were reportedly thrown into turmoil. The Hyesan reporting partner explained:
“After learning that Kim Jong Un fired officials in Sinuiju, party officials in Ryanggang Province are mobilizing en masse. They’re making a fuss about investigating the damage and mobilizing junior officials to sites where restoration efforts are ongoing. The families of officials are clamoring to donate rice and cash to support the workers mobilized for repair work.”
Flood damage from heavy rains is frequent in North Korea, so repair work on river levees and waterways is carried out almost every year in various locations. Workers from factories and businesses, as well as residents, are mobilized and assigned sections for the work. AsiaPress understands that a “blame game” over responsibility for construction work in areas affected by this heavy rain has already begun. The Hyesan reporting partner explained the situation as follows:
“It seems that the Hyesan Mine, which was in charge of repairing the levee in the Gasan Village area, will be held responsible. Seeing the central government handing out punishments indiscriminately, lower-level officials are also punishing innocent people recklessly. No matter how hard they work on repairs, there’s no way piling up soil and stones alone can stop a flood.”
A week into August, AsiaPress asked the Hyesan reporting partner what measures the authorities were taking and how the recovery efforts were going. She replied:
No food has been distributed yet. We heard that the state-run grain shops would distribute rice, but it hasn’t happened yet. At Hyesan Mine, they’re supposedly distributing three kilograms of corn to each worker, but how are they supposed to live on just that?
There were orders to strengthen flood recovery support efforts, and officials, as well as regulatory agencies, are all mobilized to focus on recovery work. Especially in rural areas, the people’s committee (local government) seems so busy to directly report all field damage situations to the central government. They’re taking photos and tallying up the damage.
Separately, officials are demanding that each household in the people’s units voluntarily contribute 3,000 won each. But no one is paying.
Employees at enterprises are being mobilized for levee repair work, but without cement, they’re just piling up stones. It’s obvious they will collapse again after being done this way….
I heard that all Ryanggang Province party officials submitted self-criticism reports, saying the flood damage was not the central party’s responsibility but an accident caused by local officials’ expediency and defeatism. They were told to write what party policies they implemented and what was lacking.
[The authorities] put out broadcasts and give lectures to commend people who have contributed support or been mobilized. They propagate the idea that helping each other in difficult times is a fine communist tradition and an expression of patriotism.
But only those who earn good money can afford to give support, and they’re doing it to get their names listed. Those with difficult lives can’t contribute much, so they become cautious because if they do contribute, they might be suspected of why they have the means [to provide support].
Homeless to Pyongyang
AsiaPress asked that reporting partner about Kim Jong Un’s announcement that he would bring homeless flood victims to Pyongyang (excluding those whose loyalty to the regime is considered shaky) and about Kim’s rejection of aid offers from South Korea, Russia and international organizations. She replied:
I’m not sure why they’re taking them to Pyongyang. Maybe it’s for show? …
Regarding the refusal of external aid, there’s a backlash, with people saying, “We’re ‘beggars.’ How are we supposed to manage with just pride?”
Later in August, the central apparatus saw that soliciting contributions from ordinary citizens would not suffice. “North Korean authorities have reportedly announced that ‘flood victim support will be handled by the Workers’ Party and the state,'” AsiaPress reported. “This appears to be the government’s response to growing discontent among ordinary citizens who have been effectively forced to contribute supplies like clothing and bedding for victims.”
The outlet quoted another reporting partner, in North Hamgyong Province, as having provided this information on August 12:
Reportedly, flood victims are being taken to Pyongyang. Meanwhile, the state claims it will restore damaged houses and provide all household appliances. The goal is to have new houses occupied by September 9, with all affected households to be moved in by October 10.
Restoration of damaged houses is proceeding with total mobilization from officials to ordinary citizens. Each province is mobilization their “Urban Construction Corps,” with people previously mobilized for other tasks now all redirected to flood recovery efforts.
The party organ Rodong Sinmun reported that some 13,000 flood victims arrived in Pyongyang on August 15. “When we asked our reporting partners living in the northern region, it became clear that there is significant dissatisfaction and backlash among residents, with many calling it an ’empty show,'” AsiaPress reported.
“On August 21, we asked reporting partner A, who lives in Musan County, North Hamgyong Province, if they were aware of the ‘Pyongyang evacuation’ of flood victims.” A’s reply:
Everyone knows that flood victims were taken to Pyongyang. The government is probably scared of losing public support because so many people died pitifully. People around here are all laughing, saying it’s just a “show.”
Many people have died, and many bodies haven’t been found. The Workers’ Party organizations say to take care of the bereaved families, but once someone’s dead, it’s over. There’s a lot of backlash, with people asking what’s the point giving a few kilograms of corn after death. If they had money to take people to Pyongyang, they should have set up flood prevention measures in advance. People are saying behind closed doors that anything done after this much damage is just for propaganda.
On August 15 when the flood victims arrived in Pyongyang, AsiaPress noted, Kim Jong Un encouraged them, saying, “All of you, who are present here, as precious members of our people, have remained faithful to our Party all your lives, working with devotion for the prosperity and development of our state; even when left homeless in the aftermath of an unexpected disaster, you treasured your trust in our party more than your personal property or houses that had been lost, and your confidence in it remains fundamentally unchanged.”
In fact, the AsiaPress article observed, “it seems that public sentiment is already turning away.” AsiaPress concluded its six-part report with a comment from its reporting partner B, the one who lives in Hyesan, Ryanggang Province:
“Until now, when fires or floods occurred,” B noted, “people would first carry out portraits” of the Kim rulers” – which citizens are required to protect literally with their lives. “But this time, many people were taking out household items like TVs, solar panels and transformers. It seems people’s consciousness is changing.”
Bradley K Martin is the author of Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty, a history of the country during the reigns of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il. Martin is also the author of Nuclear Blues, a novel set in North Korea during the current reign of Kim Jong Un.
Fat Boy should do the descent thing and donate half the food he eats.