North Korea is promoting its recent flood recovery efforts along the Yalu River as an example of Kim Jong Un’s people-centric leadership.
On Monday, the state-run media, Rodong Sinmun, published a front-page article titled “A Great Manifestation of People’s Love That Will Shine as a Construction Miracle. “The article detailed the results of the past four months of flood recovery efforts.
According to the newspaper, 15,000 modern homes, nurseries, kindergartens, schools, hospitals, and clinics were constructed in four months. Additionally, 6,000 existing homes were repaired. Infrastructure projects, including embankment construction along the Yalu River, river and stream restoration, and the rebuilding of railways, roads, and bridges, were also carried out.
The newspaper described these achievements as miraculous and credited them to the immortal leadership of the Great Party Central Committee’s devotion to the people. It emphasized that Kim’s active involvement was responsible for the successful completion of recovery efforts.
The article reported that Kim visited various flood recovery sites, including the Paektusan Hero Youth Brigade deployment ceremony in North Pyongan Province in August and the construction site in Jagang Province in October. After the floods, Kim issued a 100-day battle directive, calling for complete recovery within three months. He also temporarily relocated 15,000 flood-affected residents to Pyongyang, showcasing his determination to address the disaster.
In response, the newspaper noted that citizens eagerly volunteered for party solidarity efforts, with about 300,000 young people expressing willingness to join the flood recovery efforts in North Pyongan Province.
Additionally, the article featured scenes of displaced residents returning home after staying temporarily in Pyongyang during the four months of recovery efforts. According to the report, these residents departed Pyongyang Station amid farewells from local citizens. They pledged to repay the Party and their leader’s benevolence with loyalty as they returned to their transformed hometowns.
North Korea has extensively publicized its self-reliant recovery from the large-scale floods in late July, completing the efforts in just four months. This propaganda highlights Kim’s problem-solving abilities and concern for livelihoods, seemingly aimed at consolidating public sentiment and achieving year-end objectives.