As North Korea reels from floods, Kim Jong Un finds opportunity in the crisis



Analysis As North Korea reels from floods, Kim Jong Un finds opportunity in the crisis Leader has deflected blame and posed as savior, but he can’t afford to ignore need to invest in disaster preparedness Gabriela Bernal August 7, 2024 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Image: KCNA (July 29, 2024) Flooding and landslides due to monsoon rains have ravaged large parts of North Korea in recent weeks, destroying thousands of homes, displacing countless people and even wiping out an entire village. But while the country is no stranger to natural disasters, the government has repeatedly proven unable or unwilling to invest in infrastructure, and Kim Jong Un has appeared eager to divert attention from that fact. Flooding and landslides due to monsoon rains have ravaged large parts of North Korea in recent weeks, destroying thousands of homes, displacing countless people and even wiping out an entire village. But while the country is no stranger to natural disasters, the government has repeatedly proven unable or unwilling to invest in infrastructure, and Kim Jong Un has appeared eager to divert attention from that fact. Become a member for less than $5.75 per week. Unlimited access to all of NK News: reporting, investigations, analysis The NK News Daily Update, an email newsletter to keep you in the loop Searchable archive of all content, photo galleries, special columns Contact NK News reporters with tips or requests for reporting Get unlimited access to all NK News content, including original reporting, investigations, and analyses by our team of DPRK experts. Subscribe now All major cards accepted. No commitments – you can cancel any time. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily News Update. Trending

Analysis

As North Korea reels from floods, Kim Jong Un finds opportunity in the crisis

Leader has deflected blame and posed as savior, but he can’t afford to ignore need to invest in disaster preparedness

Gabriela Bernal August 7, 2024

As North Korea reels from floods, Kim Jong Un finds opportunity in the crisis

Image: KCNA (July 29, 2024)

Flooding and landslides due to monsoon rains have ravaged large parts of North Korea in recent weeks, destroying thousands of homes, displacing countless people and even wiping out an entire village.

But while the country is no stranger to natural disasters, the government has repeatedly proven unable or unwilling to invest in infrastructure, and Kim Jong Un has appeared eager to divert attention from that fact.