North Korea’s Kim blasts South Korean ‘scum’ over flood damage ‘rumours’, after Seoul’s aid offer
- North Korea said earlier this week there had been unspecified casualties resulting from the flooding in its northern regions
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un accused South Korean media outlets of spreading rumours about flood damage and casualties in his country, state media said on Saturday, days after Seoul reached out to offer humanitarian aid.
North Korea said earlier this week there had been unspecified casualties resulting from the flooding in its northern regions, in addition to damage to thousands of homes.
Seoul on Thursday said it was willing to “urgently provide” humanitarian help to “North Korean disaster victims” following a South Korean news report that the toll of dead and missing could be as high as 1,500.
The report by TV Chosun, which was later picked up by other outlets, also reported on the possible death of rescuers killed in helicopter crashes.
But North Korea’s Kim slammed the reports for “spreading the false rumour that the human loss … is expected [to] be over 1,000 or 1,500”, according to Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency.
Kim “bitterly censured the inveterate habits and despicable nature of the ROK scum,” referring to South Korea, KCNA said on Saturday.
