North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called South Korean media outlets “useless”, accusing them on Tuesday of spreading fake news about reports of floods that have hit the northern part of his country.
North Korean state media on Thursday reported flooding and torrential rain in the Sinuiju region near the Chinese border and published photos of Kim inspecting rescue operations on an inflatable boat.
South Korean media later reported that the disaster may have left between 1,000 and 1,500 people dead or missing, and that several rescue helicopters had crashed. These reports prompted the South Korean government to offer – in vain – its help.
According to the official KCNA news agency, Kim Jong Un said the floods had caused no casualties in Sinuiju and more than 5,000 people had been rescued. “The enemy’s useless media is spreading a false rumor,” he said, according to the official agency, referring to a “cruel smear campaign.”
The South Korean government said yesterday that it had tried unsuccessfully to contact authorities in Pyongyang to offer humanitarian aid.
