{"id":4723,"date":"2020-09-25T16:16:57","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T07:16:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.01.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/?p=4723"},"modified":"2022-05-16T18:01:09","modified_gmt":"2022-05-16T09:01:09","slug":"typhoon-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.02.asiapress.org\/rimjin-gang\/2020\/09\/society-economy\/typhoon-2\/","title":{"rendered":"\uff1cInside N. Korea\uff1e Cut Off: Border Town Faces Ruin After Flood Washes Away Bridge and Phone Lines"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

(Photo) Scenes of typhoon damage. The unusual reporting style certainly catches the eye. As originally broadcast by North Korea\u2019s Central Television in September 2020<\/p><\/div>\n

\u25c6 State media shows Kim Jong-un smiling in satisfaction with the recovery efforts<\/h2>\n

Reports of the extensive damage caused by Typhoon Haishen in the northeast region of North Korea are slowly filtering in. In Hoeryong City, North Hamkyung Province, floods destroyed an important bridge, cutting off access and communications to an entire district. A reporting partner living in the city spoke with ASIAPRESS about the situation on September 18. (Kang Ji-won)<\/em><\/p>\n

Q: It\u2019s been 10 days since Typhoon Haishen, what is the extent of the damage in Hoeryong City?<\/strong>
\n\u201cObonggyo Bridge collapsed, making it impossible to access Yuseon district. If you want to get there, you have to walk over the railway bridge.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: Obonggyo Bridge is an important bridge over the Hoeryong River, giving access from Yuseon District to the rest of Hoeryong City right?<\/strong>
\n\u201cYes. The bridge is used by miners to reach the Yuseon coal mines on the outskirts of the city. As it has been destroyed, it is impossible to carry supplies to the mines. The only option is to walk across the railway bridge and cars can\u2019t get across, meaning people have to carry and transport supplies on foot. The prices of goods in Yuseon market have really gone up because people have to carry goods there to be sold.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: How about the damage to farmland?<\/strong>
\n\u201cThe valleys were blocked by landslides, causing water to be blocked, forming a large pool right in the middle of farmland. A considerable amount of agricultural land was lost and personal gardens were also damaged. On the Geumsang Village side, small streams swelled to the size of the Tumen River and surrounding fields were washed away. Cooperative farms were said to have been severely damaged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u25c6 Insufficient funds, materials, and personnel<\/h2>\n

Q: How are recovery efforts coming along?<\/strong>
\n\u201cLogs were placed along the river bed so that cars could be used to bring materials across. However, no organizations have enough money to buy gasoline. I don\u2019t know when the bridge will be rebuilt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Q: There are reports that 12,000 Workers\u2019 Party laborers were mobilized from Pyongyang to restore the affected area.<\/strong>
\n\u201cIt is said that Pyongyang will send support personnel to the affected areas, but Hoeryong is located along the border with China, so personnel cannot be sent here due to coronavirus quarantine measures, meaning the recovery efforts will have to be completed by locals. The officials say that they will take the lead in restoration efforts, but what can they do if they don\u2019t have any money or materials?\u201d
\nNextPage: \u25c6The phone lines were swept away- there is no prospect of recovery...<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u25c6 The phone lines were swept away- there is no prospect of recovery<\/h2>\n

Q: Is there any other damage to speak of?<\/strong>
\n\u201cAll the landlines in Hoeryong are out of service. They say that the situation is also not good in Rason. Apparently, the phone lines were swept away in floods, so it will take a while to restore them.\u201d<\/p>\n

North Korea\u2019s state media, including the Rodong Sinmun, is promoting Kim Jong-un\u2019s inspection of typhoon-hit areas and reporting that the restoration is going smoothly. The reality, however, is that many of the affected areas are suffering major setbacks due to a lack of funds, materials, and support personnel.<\/p>\n

\u203b Rason is a special economic zone close to Hoeryong.
\n\u203b ASIAPRESS contacts its reporting partners in North Korea through smuggled Chinese mobile phones.<\/p>\n

\n
\uff1cRelated Article\uff1e<\/div>\n