According to a source in Chagang Province from NK Times on the 21st, the bodies of residents who died from flood damage have been found one after another at flood recovery sites in Chagang Province recently. The area where the most bodies have been found is Zengsan County in Chagang Province, with 870 bodies reportedly found so far.
It is said that soldiers and assault team members are often surprised and shouting as bodies are being found all over the flood recovery sites. It is also said that residents are shocked because the identities of the bodies found at the sites are not confirmed and are being buried in nearby areas.
The source said, “The authorities are even receiving a pledge from the soldiers and assault team members who are handling the bodies that they will not reveal the facts to the outside world,” and “The soldiers and assault team members who are mobilized for the recovery are unable to contain their absurdity, saying, ‘Shouldn’t we identify the bodies that have been found and return them to their families?'”
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the North Korean authorities have dispatched a large number of State Security Ministry agents to the flood-stricken areas and are conducting internal crackdowns to block information leaks.
The source said, “On the 8th, dozens of State Security Ministry radio detection bureau agents were dispatched to the border area of Chagang Province,” and “They are working with the security department agents in the border areas where flood damage occurred, including Manpo City and Jeungsan County, to crack down on Chinese cell phones.”
He continued, “In the past, when the National Security Agency came down, they moved quietly and secretly so as not to let the residents know, but this time, the dispatched personnel are showing off that they came down,” and “The local security agents are even spreading rumors that many people from the National Security Agency came down.”
He added, “The dispatched radio detection station agents are conducting search operations in cooperation with the local security agency, focusing on areas with good radio reception, and they are carrying the latest small radio detection devices and moving frequently using passenger cars and motorcycles, creating an atmosphere of fear as if they were blatantly doing so.”
Earlier, on the 12th, TV Chosun reported that the number of deaths due to flooding in North Korea had reached 1,500, and as the water receded from the accident site, our government authorities reported that the number of victims was over 2,500, which was much higher than the initial estimate. However, North Korean authorities are denying this, saying that South Korea is “manipulating fabricated data.”
A North Korea expert who requested anonymity pointed out in a phone call with our newspaper that, “North Korea’s admission of large-scale casualties could be a blow to its rule. Therefore, it is trying to minimize the severity of the disaster that occurred in the area under its control.”
He continued, “If sensitive information such as the number of deaths is leaked, it could create internal anxiety, and the ultimate responsibility will inevitably be focused on Chairman Kim,” and analyzed, “It seems that they are trying to hide the fact of large-scale casualties due to this issue.”
***This article is a translation by Google, so the content may differ from the Korean article.
