After floods, Putin expresses sympathy to Kim Jong-un

In the face of natural disasters, Moscow is standing by Pyongyang’s bedside. Vladimir Putin assured North Korean leader Kim Jong-un of his “support” on Saturday, following the floods that hit North Korea in July, the Kremlin announced.

“We share the grief and mourning of the friendly people of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” the Russian president said in a message to his counterpart. “You can always count on our help and support,” he stressed.

Pyongyang will do without Moscow’s help

According to the North’s state agency KCNA, the Kremlin leader “expressed his willingness to provide immediate humanitarian aid for reconstruction after the flood damage.” While thanking Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un declined the offer, saying that “plans have already been made and state measures have been taken at the present stage.” However, “if help is needed later, he will seek it from Moscow’s sincere friends,” KCNA added.

The day before, the North Korean leader had dismissed as “false rumor” reports in South Korean media that floods in the north of the country, along the Chinese border, had killed up to 1,500 people. He said no one had died in the disaster and that 5,000 people had been taken to safety.

The South Korean government also offered help on Thursday, but Pyongyang, which has not responded to calls from Seoul on inter-Korean communication lines since April 2023, ignored it.

Up to 463 millimeters of rain in a single day

North Korea experienced record-breaking torrential rains in July. In the southwest of the country, the city of Kaesong recorded 463 millimeters of rain in a single day. This was the highest level recorded in the country in 29 years, according to the South Korean meteorological center.

Moscow and Pyongyang have been allies since the end of the Korean War (1950-1953) but have grown closer since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. At the end of June, Vladimir Putin was received with great pomp by Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, this summit resulting in the signing of a mutual defense agreement.

source site

Related Articles