North Korea works to prevent flood damages amid COVID crisis

By HYUNG-JIN KIM
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea says its people are working intensively to protect crops and equipment from potential damage after days of heavy rainfall. South Korea says heavy rain has been falling in the North since Sunday. Observers worry any flooding could aggravate economic hardships amid North Korea’s COVID-19 outbreak. Authorities are warning of torrential downpours in most of the country through Wednesday. The official Korean Central News Agency said authorities in the North’s central and southwestern regions are mobilizing to cope with possible flood-related damage. Deforestation and poor drainage mean summer floods in North Korea often cause serious damage.