"Biological Father Who Rushed to Unfortunate Children"
North Korean Disaster Victims Who Wrote Thank You Letters to Kim Jong-un
North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un visited the flood-affected area in Uiju County, North Pyongan Province, last August and comforted the disaster victims living in temporary shelters made of tents. Photo by Yonhap News Agency via Korean Central News Agency
On the 20th, the Korean Central News Agency reported that flood victims who had stayed in Pyongyang for four months after leaving their devastated hometowns due to the massive floods around the Amnok River last July, which reportedly caused over 1,000 deaths and missing persons and tens of thousands of displaced people, wrote a collective letter of thanks to Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the KCNA stated on the same day, "The flood victims from Pyonganbuk-do, Jagang-do, and Yanggang-do are now facing the emotional moment of returning to their hometowns, which have been transformed into socialist model villages and ideal communities for the people after overcoming the natural disaster," and reported that a meeting was held the previous day to adopt the letter written by the flood victims.
The flood victims read the letter at the meeting. The KCNA introduced that the victims "expressed their heartfelt feelings that the Respected Marshal is a loving and considerate true father who was the first to rush to the side of his unfortunate children to give strength and dispel the shadows in their hearts." It further reported, "They expressed their determination to firmly protect this happiness, which was exchanged for the great parent's immense efforts, and to make their hometown an even more beautiful place, proud of abundant harvests and a good place to live." The flood victims, having completed their four-month stay in Pyongyang, are expected to return soon to their newly built homes in their hometowns.
A meeting to adopt letters from residents of flood-affected areas in North Pyongan Province and other parts of North Korea addressed to Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, was held on the 19th, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 20th. Korean Central News Agency=Yonhap News
On the 4th of last month, Chairman Kim visited the flood-affected areas in Pyonganbuk-do and instructed, "Complete the recovery battle at the highest level by the December Party plenary meeting." When floods occurred in Pyonganbuk-do, Jagang-do, and Yanggang-do, Kim arranged for about 15,000 vulnerable flood victims, including the elderly and infirm, to stay in Pyongyang. He also showed special attention by personally visiting their residences and educational sites in Pyongyang.
The floods that occurred in late July in the northwestern region of North Korea are estimated to have caused over 1,000 deaths and missing persons, but North Korea has not disclosed the scale of human casualties. The Ministry of Unification introduced satellite images comparing before and after the floods in October and assessed that the damage in Jagang-do was greater than in Pyonganbuk-do and Yanggang-do. In the Gwangmyeong-ri area of Seonggan County, Jagang-do, an entire village of over 200 houses was swept away by heavy rain. Assuming each house had 2 to 5 family members, it is suggested that 400 to 1,000 people may have died in this village alone.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
