金正恩氏、韓国メディアを批判　洪水報道で「デマ」

【ソウルＡＦＰ＝時事】北朝鮮の金正恩（キム・ジョンウン）朝鮮労働党総書記は、同国で発生した洪水の被害と死者数について、韓国メディアが「デマ」を流していると非難した。朝鮮中央通信（ＫＣＮＡ）が３日、報じた。（写真は金正恩〈キム・ジョンウン〉朝鮮労働党総書記〈中央〉）
　北朝鮮は今週、北部で洪水が起き、家屋数千棟が被害を受け、死傷者数は不明だと発表した。韓国メディアは、死者と行方不明者は計１５００人に上る恐れもあると報道。ＴＶ朝鮮は、救助活動中にヘリが墜落し、隊員が死亡した可能性があるとも報じ、他のメディアも追随した。
　だが、ＫＣＮＡによれば、金氏は韓国メディアが「死者数は１０００～１５００人を超える見込みとのデマ」を流しているとして、「大韓民国のくずどもの常習的な手口と卑劣さ」を痛烈に批判。
　洪水報道は韓国による「中傷キャンペーン」の一環で、狙いは「北朝鮮に恥をかかせ、イメージを汚すこと」にあると主張した。
　北朝鮮は７月３１日、場所を明らかにすることなく、当局が災害予防対策を怠ったため、不特定多数の死者が出たと発表していた。
　だが、８月３日には、「被害が最も大きかった」新義州でも死者は一人も出なかったと主張。空軍が５０００人以上を救助し、このうち約４２００人はヘリで「数時間以内」に救出したとしている。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/08/05-16:54）

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un accused South Korean media outlets of spreading rumours about flood damage and casualties in his country, state media said Saturday, days after Seoul reached out to offer humanitarian aid.
North Korea said earlier this week there had been unspecified casualties resulting from the flooding in its northern regions, in addition to damage to thousands of homes.
Seoul on Thursday said it was willing to urgently provide humanitarian assistance to North Korean disaster victims following a South Korean news report that the toll of dead and missing could be as high as 1,500.
The report by TV Chosun, which was later picked up by other outlets, also reported on the possible death of rescue workers killed in helicopter crashes.
But North Korea's Kim slammed the reports for spreading the false rumor that the human loss ... is expected be over 1,000 or 1,500, according to Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency.
Kim bitterly censured the inveterate habits and despicable nature of the ROK scum, referring to South Korea, KCNA said Saturday.
The flooding reports constituted a South Korean smear campaign to bring disgrace upon us and tarnish the North's image, he added.
Pyongyang said Wednesday that officials who neglected their disaster prevention duties had caused unspecified casualties, without specifying the location.
But it said Saturday that there were no casualties at all in the Sinuiju area, the region Pyongyang said suffered the greatest flood damage.
It claimed North Korea's Air Force rescued over 5,000 people, with around 4,200 of them saved by helicopter within a few hours.
Relations between the two Koreas are at one of their lowest points in years, but South Korea's unification and foreign ministries this week expressed condolences for the North's flood victims.
Seoul said Friday it had received no response after trying to offer humanitarian aid via the Koreas' liaison office communication channel.
North Korea declared the South its principal enemy earlier this year, and Pyongyang has not responded to inter-Korean liaison hotline calls since April 2023.