Heavy flooding in the Amnok River in the border area has submerged railway lines around the North Korean city of Sinuiju, cutting off access to one of the country’s main import quarantine centers, according to a report by 38 North, a U.S. media outlet devoted to North Korea.
38 North, referring to the photos released by North Korea’s state-run media Rodong Sinmun on Wednesday, analyzed that the only connecting route to the quarantine facility has been completely submerged.
Photos show Kim Jong Un’s private train stopped on the tracks, with the track directly in front completely submerged, making further operations impossible. Workers have temporarily built a levee to address the flooding and prevent more water from flowing in.
According to 38 North, this location is about 4 kilometers east of Sinuiju and 4 kilometers south of the Uiju quarantine facility. Since most trade between North Korea and China happens by rail, this flooding, due to damage to critical infrastructure, is expected to disrupt North Korea-China trade in the short term.
In 2020, North Korea converted Uiju Airport into a quarantine facility for imported cargo in response to COVID-19. Since 2021, the country has isolated imported goods for several weeks before allowing them entry. Even after reopening its borders, North Korea has continued to use this facility, recently rebuilding two of its warehouses.
On the same day, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reported that American commercial satellite Planet Labs analyzed images taken on the 29th of last month. These images show the area around Manpo City in Jagang Province transformed into a “sea of muddy water,” highlighting severe flooding damage.
The report also indicated that the Amnok River has overflowed, submerging large swaths of farmland and cutting off entire villages. The flooding has left these villages isolated, appearing as though they are surrounded by water.
“The situation in Chunggang County is serious. The river water has overflowed into the farmland, flooding the entire village,” Chung Seong Hak, a researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, told RFA.
“Areas where farmland was submerged in muddy water will likely face several challenges during recovery.”
North Korea previously reported that this flood damaged around 4,100 homes and nearly 3,000 acres of farmland in Sinuiju and Uiju County, along with numerous public buildings, facilities, roads, and railway lines.