North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has rejected international aid for floods that displaced thousands last month, according to state media, visiting a temporary camp for victims and ordering the most vulnerable sent to Pyongyang for care in a bid to demonstrate the state’s ability to provide relief without outside assistance.

Kim also condemned South Korean media for “fabricating lies” about the severity of the humanitarian crisis in a speech to victims, which one expert described as part of the leader’s continuing efforts to deflect blame for the floods.