N. Koreans displaced by flooding hovers around 300,000: observer

The number of North Koreans displaced by devastating floods that ravaged northeastern parts of the country hovers around 300,000, a local researcher said Sunday.

The total estimate is four times larger than what Pyongyang announced in the past after Typhoon Lionrock caused heavy rainfall, landslides and flooding. North Korean news outlets said the typhoon that affected the country from Aug. 29 through Sept. 2 caused 68,900 people to abandon their homes.

Cheong Seong-chang, a senior researcher at the Sejong Institute, said his claim is based on a reliable source who frequently visits the reclusive country.

"The North's main newspaper, the Rodong Sinmun, recently reported that work is still under way to repair the damage caused two months after the flooding," the scholar told Yonhap News Agency. "This is a clear indication that the damage is much more serious than the initial assessment."

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Sept. 16 that the flooding that hit North Korea was the worst in 50-60 years. It said the natural disaster affected not only homes but schools, kindergartens and child care centers.

Reflecting this, numerous photos obtained by Yonhap showed large scale devastation and ongoing efforts to repair damaged infrastructure. Pictures also showed signboards urging the people to join the ongoing campaign to repair damage caused by the flooding.

Elaborating on the conditions in the North, Cheong speculated that Pyeongyang probably exercised "restraint" on Oct. 10 because of the damage caused by the flooding. He suggested that if the country was not reeling from the flooding, Pyongyang would have detonated another nuclear device or fired off a long-range missile. (Yonhap)