Severe flooding in late July has devastated the livelihoods of North Korean residents on Ryucho Island in the Yalu River, resulting in multiple drownings and leaving survivors ill-prepared for future weather events. The island’s precarious location makes it chronically vulnerable to flooding, especially during the monsoon season when the Yalu River overflows its banks, creating an ongoing threat to the islanders’ lives and livelihoods.
Shattered lives: From fishermen to day laborers
According to a source in North Pyongan province on Wednesday, the island’s residents are generally fishermen or farmers. One resident had been catching fish, drying them, and then selling them in downtown Sinuiju, but he lost his fishing boat and tools in the flood. For lack of a better option, he shovels manure on small farms and ranches in the area.
Another Ryucho Island resident ran a small grocery store, stocking it with goods she brought from Sinuiju. But her entire stock was ruined by the flood, forcing her to close the store. She tried to replace her goods with the money she had saved from the flood, but her efforts were in vain.
Moreover, since most Ryucho Island residents lost all their worldly possessions in the flood, they could not afford to buy products from the store even if it was well stocked, the source said, so the store would not be profitable anyway.
“The residents here (on Ryucho Island) lost their crops and livestock in the flood, so even the farmers are struggling to survive. Ryucho Island’s village used to grow a lot of radishes, napa cabbage, large green onions and garlic for sale in downtown Sinuiju, but all those fields were flooded,” the source said.
Under these circumstances, Ryucho Island residents are very concerned that they have no way to prepare for the coming winter, which is a harsh season in North Korea.
“This is the season when people need to prepare for winter, but people are destitute now and may well be homeless when winter comes. Since most families here can barely afford one meal a day, they have no idea how they’ll make it through the fall, let alone the winter,” the source said.
“The government has ordered local officials to care of everyone’s needs, but Ryucho Island’s village party committee can’t do anything.”