North Korean leader accuses South Korea of a smear campaign over floods and hints at rejecting aid

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks as he visits an air force helicopter unit to praise the troops for helping rescue people from recent floods, at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, Kim Jong Un, center on the red carpet, visits an air force helicopter unit to praise the troops for helping rescue people from recent floods, at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visits an air force helicopter unit to praise the troops for helping rescue people from recent floods, at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Friday, Aug. 2, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a flood-hit area in Sinuiju city, North Phyongan province, North Korea Monday, July 29, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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This undated photo provided on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 by the North Korean government, shows a flood-hit area in Sinuiju city, North Phyongan province, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un inspects a flood-hit area in North Phyongan province, North Korea Sunday, July 28, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

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In this photo provided by the North Korean government, people who were affected by heavy rainfall in North Phyongan province, North Korea are rescued Sunday, July 28, 2024. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: “KCNA” which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

By KIM TONG-HYUNG

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused South Korea’s “rubbish” media of tarnishing the North’s image by allegedly exaggerating the death tolls from recent floods that hit the country’s northwest region, and hinted that he would refuse Seoul’s offer for aid.

Kim made the comments Friday during a visit to an air force helicopter unit, where he praised the troops for helping rescue people from the floods, North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency said Saturday.

During the visit, Kim denied claims by South Korean media that 1,000 to 1,500 North Koreans would have died from the floods and that multiple helicopters might have crashed during the emergency response. He described the reports as a “vicious smear campaign” by the South.

Kim labeled South Korea as an unchangeable enemy and stressed that the North will never sacrifice its national defense to improve disaster recovery or people’s standards of living — hinting that Pyongyang would reject Seoul’s aid offer.

South Korea’s government offered Thursday to send aid supplies to address the “humanitarian challenges” facing North Korean residents in flood-affected areas near the country’s border with China.

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It was widely expected that North Korea would reject the offer. Animosity between the war-divided rivals is at its highest in years over the North’s growing nuclear ambitions and the South’s expansion of combined military exercises with the United States and Japan to counter the North’s threats.

The North had also rejected South Korea’s offers for help while battling a COVID-19 outbreak in 2022.

North Korean state media reports said recent heavy rains left 4,100 houses, 7,410 acres of agricultural fields and numerous other public buildings, structures, roads and railways flooded in the northwestern city of Sinuiju and the neighboring town of Uiju.

State media has not provided information on deaths, but Kim was quoted blaming public officials who had neglected disaster prevention, causing “the casualty that cannot be allowed.”

During his visit to the helicopter unit, Kim said it was a miracle that no casualties were reported in the Sinuiju area and credited the air force personnel for pulling off successful rescue missions.

Kim also said that one helicopter made an emergency landing during a rescue mission but that all pilots were safe, in what appeared to be a denial of South Korean media claims about multiple helicopter crashes.

KIM TONG-HYUNG

Kim has been covering the Koreas for the AP since 2014. He has published widely read stories on North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, the dark side of South Korea’s economic rise and international adoptions of Korean children.