South Korea says no response from North on flood relief offer

South Korea said Friday it had received no response after trying to contact the North to offer humanitarian aid following reports of deaths and heavy damage caused by recent flooding. Seoul’s unification ministry said in a statement Thursday that it was willing to “urgently provide” humanitarian assistance to “North Korean disaster victims” impacted by the
South Korea says no response from North on flood relief offer

South Korea said Friday it had received no response after trying to contact the North to offer humanitarian aid following reports of deaths and heavy damage caused by recent flooding.

Seoul’s unification ministry said in a statement Thursday that it was willing to “urgently provide” humanitarian assistance to “North Korean disaster victims” impacted by the downpours.

The ministry attempted to contact the North to make an offer of aid via the Koreas’ liaison office communication channel, but Pyongyang has not responded, Seoul said Friday.

“We will not make assumptions about the situation and look forward to a prompt response (from the North) to our proposal,” Kim In-ae, the deputy spokesperson for the ministry, told reporters.

North Korea said earlier this week that a “record downpour” hit its northern border areas near China, resulting in “a grave crisis in which more than 5,000 inhabitants were isolated in the zone vulnerable to flooding”.

On Wednesday, Pyongyang said many “public buildings, facilities, roads and railways, including more than 4,100 dwelling houses and nearly 3,000 hectares of farmlands” were flooded in its northern regions of Sinuiju and Uiju.

That same day, North Korean state media said leader Kim Jong Un “proposed to strictly punish” officials who neglected their disaster prevention duties, which had caused unspecified deaths or injuries “that can not be allowed”.

A report by South Korea’s TV Chosun said hundreds of people could have been killed.

Kim has been shown in multiple videos this week traversing flood waters in a rubber boat, overseeing rescue operations involving military helicopters.

Natural disasters tend to have a greater impact on the isolated and impoverished North due to its weak infrastructure, while deforestation has left it vulnerable to flooding.

‘Deep condolences’

Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, with the North bolstering military ties with Russia while sending thousands of trash-carrying balloons to the South.

In response, Seoul’s military blasts K-pop and anti-regime messages from border loudspeakers and recently resumed live-fire drills on border islands and near the demilitarised zone that divides the Korean peninsula.

Despite the heightened tensions on the peninsula, South Korea’s unification ministry on Thursday expressed “deep sympathy” for the flood victims in the North.

Seoul’s foreign ministry also issued a separate statement Friday, extending its “deep condolences” to the North Koreans who have been “affected by the recent heavy rainfall”.

South Korea has “consistently maintained the position that it will continue humanitarian assistance to North Korea”, regardless of the “political and military situation,” the foreign ministry added.

Pyongyang unilaterally cut off all official military and political communication links with Seoul in 2020 and blew up a disused inter-Korean liaison office on its side of the border.

The inter-Korean liaison office channel was restored in 2021, but the North has not been responding to the hotline calls since April 2023.

Despite the North’s lack of response, Seoul has been attempting to communicate with the North through the channel twice daily, every day, according to the unification ministry.

Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply
Related Posts

Stardew Valley: How To Complete The Museum

Early into Stardew Valley, Gunther from the Museum will come to you with a request. He tells you that the Museum is lacking when it comes to real artifacts and asks you to donate any rare items you find to him. The Museum functions similar to one in the Animal Crossing games, where you need
Map Shows Which States Drink the Most Beer
Read More

Map Shows Which States Drink the Most Beer

A new map offers an intriguing glimpse into the beer-loving culture that thrives in throughout America, showcasing a significant variance in consumption from state to state. From bustling cities to rural heartlands, Americans love to indulge in the amber fluid. According to market research firm Spherical Insights, the American beer industry was valued at $106.6
EXCLUSIVEDozens of children under the age of 10 – and some as young as five – referred to Scotland’s controversial gender clinic
Read More

EXCLUSIVEDozens of children under the age of 10 – and some as young as five – referred to Scotland’s controversial gender clinic

Dozens of children aged under 10 have been referred to Scotland’s controversial NHS gender clinic, the Mail on Sunday can reveal. Two youngsters were under five-years-old when they were referred to the Sandyford Clinic in Glasgow. In total, 53 children under 10-year-old have been referred to the Sandyford - the only facility for ‘gender identity’