Typhoon Hits North Korea’s Farmlands
Tropical storm Khanun hit the Korean peninsula Friday, 17 August, devastating North Korea’s farmlands. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un toured the affected region to assess the damage. North Korea already has concerns over a food crisis, and the typhoon added to the dire situation. South Korea was affected as well, prompting it to close schools and evacuate more than 14,000 people, but it is in a much better position to deal with the situation than their neighbor to the north.
North Korea has suffered serious food shortages for decades, often due to natural disasters, but also due to border closures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kim praised the military’s efforts to mitigate the storm’s devastation, saying, “We cannot lose a patch of farmland to the natural rampage on the agricultural front directly related with the people’s living.” Everything that can be done is being done to save the farmland, including spraying pesticides.
North Korea’s self-imposed isolation has resulted in the country lagging behind its neighbors in development and modernization. The people are already hungry due to food shortages for such a long time. This is especially worrisome for children who lack needed nutrition in their formative years.
Life is hard for everyone in North Korea, but particularly for the few who are Christians. One report identified the Communist doctrine and the Kim family’s rule as the main driver of religious abuses: “ According to the report, Christians were regarded as the ‘most dangerous political class of people, and the persecution is violent and intense.’ It described life for Christians in North Korea as a ‘constant cauldron of pressure; capture or death is only a mistake away.’ The report stated that parents often hide their faith from their children with worship done ‘as secretly as possible.’ “
