N. Korea open to Russian flood aid, snubs S. Korean offer

This photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Saturday, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-un speaking during a visit to a helicopter unit dispatched to rescue isolated residents in flood-hit areas bordering China on Friday. (Yonhap)

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un showed starkly different responses through state media to humanitarian aid offers from South Korea and Russia aimed at assisting in the recovery of its flood-stricken northwestern region bordering China.

Kim lauded Moscow's gesture as "heartfelt sympathy from the closest friends," while he remained silent on Seoul's outreach and vehemently criticized the South Korean media's coverage of flood damages as a "vicious smear campaign," according to North Korean state media reports from the weekend.

Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched a "message of sympathy" to Kim, expressing "his willingness to provide immediate humanitarian support for the recovery from the flood damage," North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency reported Sunday in an English-language dispatch.

The message was relayed to North Korea's Foreign Ministry by the Russian Embassy in Pyongyang on Saturday evening. The Kremlin also disclosed the transmission of Putin's letter to Kim on Saturday.

Kim responded to the offer with eloquent language, emphasizing the intimate bond between Russia and North Korea, and stated that North Korea would request flood aid from Russia if necessary, thereby opening the door to potential assistance.

"Saying that he (Kim) could deeply feel the special emotion towards a genuine friend in the most difficult period, he expressed thanks for it, adding that he receives the heartfelt sympathy from the closest friends," North Korean state media reported.

"He said that the rehabilitation work would be pushed forward according to the already-established plan as state measures were taken at the present stage to immediately repair the flood damage and that if aid is necessary in the course, he would ask for it to the truest friends in Moscow," the report added.

This undated photo, provided by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on July 31, shows flood-hit areas in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un inspects the area. (Yonhap)

In stark contrast, Kim on Friday lambasted South Korean media reports on flood damages in North Korea as the initial public reaction to South Korea's Thursday outreach to provide humanitarian aid to the flood-stricken areas and initiate inter-Korean talks on relief efforts.

Kim's denunciation arose during his visit to the helicopter unit of North Korea's Air Force on Friday, North Korean state media reported Saturday.

"The enemy’s rubbish media are spreading a false rumor that the number of casualties in our flood-hit areas is expected to be over 1,000 or 1,500 and that several helicopters are believed to have fallen on the rescue mission," Kim was quoted by state media as saying.

Kim "bitterly censured the inveterate habits and despicable nature of the ROK scum keen on a vicious smear campaign to disparage the DPRK and tarnish its image at any cost," state media reported.

ROK and DPRK stand for the official names of South Korea and North Korea, respectively: the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Kim's visit to the military unit came after North Korean state media on July 29 reported that around 5,000 residents were stranded across several islands in the city of Sinuiju and Uiju County, North Pyongyang Province.

The report also highlighted the rescue of about 4,200 individuals from flood-ravaged zones by North Korean Air Force helicopter pilots, conducted under the direct supervision of Kim.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (left) inspects flood-hit areas in Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, in this undated photo provided by the North's official Korean Central News Agency on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

The Unification Ministry said Thursday that Seoul's assessments, based on North Korean state media and satellite imagery analysis, indicated that recent heavy rains had inflicted "significant damage" in the regions of Sinuiju, North Pyongan Province, as well as Jagang Province.

Kim presided over an emergency enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Party Central Committee in an afflicted area in the city of Sinuiju from July 29 to 30 to "take urgent rehabilitation measures," state media reported Wednesday.

Kim notably "proposed to strictly punish those who severely neglected their responsible duties assigned by the Party and the state and thus caused even casualties, a practice that cannot be pardoned," without specifying the number of casualties.

The report Wednesday revealed that heavy rain inundated approximately 4,100 households and submerged 3,000 hectares of farmland in Sinuiju and Uiju County, also causing significant damage to public buildings, infrastructure, roads and railways.

By Ji Da-gyum(dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)