38 North: "Yongbyon Nuclear Facility Possibly Damaged by North Korean Floods"

The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea and the families of its affiliated staff provided food, blankets, bedding, daily necessities, and medicines to flood victims in Daecheong-ri, Eunpa County, North Hwanghae Province, according to a report by Korean Central Television on the 12th. The photo shows a truck carrying relief supplies in Daecheong-ri, Eunpa County, driving on a road flooded by heavy rain.

The Kuryong River near the Yongbyon nuclear facility in North Korea is reported to have flooded due to heavy rain, raising concerns about potential damage to related facilities.

The U.S.-based North Korea specialist media 38 North stated in a report on the 12th (local time) that "the flooding of the Kuryong River may have damaged the nuclear facility's power grid and cooling water supply pipelines," mentioning the 5-megawatt (MW) reactor and the Experimental Light Water Reactor (ELWR).

38 North noted, "Commercial satellite images taken on the 6th show that the water level of the Kuryong River rose sharply compared to images from the 22nd of last month," adding, "It is estimated that there was significant flooding, possibly the worst in recent years."

Satellite images partially capturing the Yongbyon nuclear facility from the 8th to the 11th show that the swollen river has receded, suggesting that critical facilities such as the Uranium Enrichment Plant (UEP) may have avoided flood damage, according to 38 North.

38 North also stated, "The 5MW reactor appears to have been inactive for quite some time, and the ELWR also seems not to be operational yet, but all these facilities require a continuous water supply."

North Korean authorities have been continuously repairing the embankments of the Kuryong River in preparation for floods, but it appears they were unable to prevent flooding this year, 38 North explained.

In particular, satellite images captured scenes of a dam crossing the Kuryong River being submerged.

Meanwhile, North Korea has reportedly been experiencing flood damage across the entire region due to continuous heavy rain since the beginning of this month.

According to the Ministry of Unification, the rainfall in Pyeonggang County, Kangwon Province, North Korea, from the 1st to the 6th reached 854 mm, nearly approaching North Korea's annual average rainfall of 960 mm.

Heavy rain is expected to continue. On the 12th, Korean Central Broadcasting announced, "From the 13th to the 14th, more than 100 mm of heavy rain accompanied by thunder and downpours will fall in several areas north of the central region."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.