North Korea's Kim to reconsider year-end projects in wake of typhoon damage

SEOUL - North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said he will reconsider year-end projects after a typhoon battered several areas of the country, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday (Sept 9).

Kim made the announcement in a meeting of the ruling Workers' Party on Tuesday on recovery efforts in typhoon-hit areas, including the Komdok area of South Hamgyong Province, KCNA said.

The typhoon damage left North Korea "with the situation in which we cannot help but change the direction of our struggle after comprehensively considering the year-end tasks that were under way", Kim said in a statement carried by KCNA.

Typhoon Maysak, the ninth typhoon of the season, led to a state of emergency, paralysed the transportation system and destroyed more than 2,000 houses, inundating public buildings and roads and causing the collapse of 59 bridges, state media said.

The isolated country has borne the brunt of both Maysak and Typhoon Bavi, followed by Typhoon Haishen, as it already grapples with heavy rains and floods in one of the wettest rainy seasons on record.

Kim stressed the need to rebuild houses and restore roads and railways by Oct 10 and he targeted year's end to complete all repairs, KCNA reported.

Oct 10 is important in North Korea, a celebration of the founding of the Workers' Party.