Recently, I visited China’s Wangjiang Pavilion in Sanhe County, located in the border region of China and North Korea. The photo above shows a view of North Korea’s Hoeryong City with villages and crops swept away by the flooding in August that devastated the country’s impoverished northeast region. North Korean citizens have reportedly been mobilized on a large scale to rebuild the dike by hand.
According to a Chinese resident who witnessed the scene, large numbers of people had to rebuild the dike by filling hessian bags with dirt without proper equipment, causing a number of casualties, including deaths. Upon seeing the area that was still flooded with water at the time, I could sense how serious the situation was.
The border between the two countries is marked by a river, but the borderline itself has been modified due to the flooding, showing just how severe it was.
In North Korea, flooding occurs every few years. However, the flooding this year was so severe that the authorities decided to open several reservoir gates simultaneously, causing massive damage.
I could see North Korean residents carrying loads on their backs or dragging bicycles from across the border.
The building in the photo is the customs house of Hoeryong City. Traders were said to be passing through it.
I was heavy-hearted looking at North Korea, with the northern winds and the cold weather (15-16 degrees below zero Celsius) of Yanji (China) intensifying the feeling. The mountains of North Korea seen from the Wangjiang Pavilion were naked, in contrast to the Chinese mountains covered with trees.
It saddened me to know that I am powerless to bridge the gap between residents living on either side of the river who are living in such proximity, but vastly different lives. As a scholar studying peace in Northeast Asia, I also felt ashamed.
My wish is that reunification will soon be achieved.
