{"id":61337,"date":"2024-10-07T16:50:30","date_gmt":"2024-10-07T07:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/?p=61337"},"modified":"2026-04-06T14:10:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T05:10:03","slug":"mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\/","title":{"rendered":"Mud, sweat, and tears: The hidden face of North Korean flood reconstruction efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Two months after devastating floods hit North Korea, recovery efforts are still in full swing. Daily NK has obtained images revealing the harsh conditions at reconstruction sites, where workers are forced to carry mud with their bare hands.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61338\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61338\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61338\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-\ud759\ub098\ub974\uae30.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"741\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-\ud759\ub098\ub974\uae30.jpeg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-\ud759\ub098\ub974\uae30-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-\ud759\ub098\ub974\uae30-630x420.jpeg 630w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-\ud759\ub098\ub974\uae30-696x464.jpeg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61338\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Daily NK obtained several photographs of flood recovery sites in North Pyongan province. In this photo, people carry earth with their bare hands. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>One photograph from early October shows dozens of men and women in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, working without proper equipment. Most are barefoot, with men wearing only shorts and sleeveless undershirts. They lack work clothes and basic safety gear.<\/p>\n<p>A source explained, &#8220;The food recovery sites are teeming only with people. Equipment and supplies are in woefully short supply. The construction workers suffer a lot with even water in short supply.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The images depict workers manually flattening the earth, a crucial step before construction can begin. Essential tools like gloves, shovels, buckets, and hemp bags are scarce, forcing people to use their hands.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61339\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61339\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61339\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"741\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5.jpeg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-630x420.jpeg 630w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\uc218\ud574\uc9c0\uc5ed-\ubcf5\uad6c\ud604\uc7a5-696x464.jpeg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61339\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In this photo, dozens of work brigade members stand next to heavy equipment, confirming that equipment is in woefully short supply for the number of workers. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Another photo shows about 100 workers standing around two pieces of heavy machinery. The source noted, &#8220;The workers couldn&#8217;t wash themselves after battling mud all day and had to lay in the barracks sweat-sodden.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Living conditions for workers involved in reconstruction efforts are equally grim. A photo of female workers&#8217; barracks reveals a cramped space with a low ceiling and dirt floor covered by thin mats. The transparent plastic sheeting used for walls and roof offers no protection from the sun.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_61340\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-61340\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-61340\" src=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\ub3cc\uaca9\ub300-\uc5ec\uc131-\ucc9c\ub9c9-\ub0b4\ubd80.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"741\" height=\"493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\ub3cc\uaca9\ub300-\uc5ec\uc131-\ucc9c\ub9c9-\ub0b4\ubd80.jpeg 741w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\ub3cc\uaca9\ub300-\uc5ec\uc131-\ucc9c\ub9c9-\ub0b4\ubd80-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\ub3cc\uaca9\ub300-\uc5ec\uc131-\ucc9c\ub9c9-\ub0b4\ubd80-631x420.jpeg 631w, https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\ub3cc\uaca9\ub300-\uc5ec\uc131-\ucc9c\ub9c9-\ub0b4\ubd80-696x463.jpeg 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-61340\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The inside of a tent housing female members of a work brigade. The photo reveals the horrible living conditions the workers face, resting on mats on the dirt floor beneath a transparent plastic roof. (Daily NK)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;Enduring the heat, hunger and hard work was hard enough, but the swarms of mosquitoes really made it a living hell,&#8221; the source added. &#8220;It&#8217;s torture not knowing until when we&#8217;ll have to live like this.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The lack of proper sanitation facilities has led to unsanitary conditions throughout the reconstruction sites. Workers are forced to relieve themselves wherever they can, and the inability to wash their clothes has resulted in a pervasive stench.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\"><em>Please send any comments or questions about this article to dailynkenglish@uni-media.net.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-pre-wrap break-words\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/20241002-1\/#:~:text=%EA%B1%B4%EC%84%A4%EC%97%90%20%EB%8F%99%EC%9B%90%EB%90%9C\"><em>Read in Korean<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Two months after devastating floods hit North Korea, recovery efforts are still in full swing. Daily NK has obtained images revealing the harsh conditions at reconstruction sites, where workers are forced to carry mud with their bare hands. One photograph from early October shows dozens of men and women in Sinuiju, North Pyongan province, working [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":256,"featured_media":61340,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[696,710,855,955,1123,1151,1242,140,695],"class_list":["post-61337","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-north-pyongan-province","tag-food-shortages","tag-housing","tag-workers","tag-women","tag-clothing","tag-flooding","tag-construction","tag-sinuiju"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.7 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Mud, sweat, and tears: The hidden face of North Korean flood reconstruction efforts - North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Daily NK obtained images revealing the harsh conditions at reconstruction sites, where workers are forced to carry mud with their bare hands.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mud, sweat, and tears: The hidden face of North Korean flood reconstruction efforts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Daily NK obtained images revealing the harsh conditions at reconstruction sites, where workers are forced to carry mud with their bare hands.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"North Korea News \u2014 Daily NK | Latest DPRK Updates 2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-10-07T07:50:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-06T05:10:03+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.dailynk.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/10\/20240930_sh_\ub3cc\uaca9\ub300-\uc5ec\uc131-\ucc9c\ub9c9-\ub0b4\ubd80.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"741\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"493\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Seon Hwa\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Seon Hwa\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Seon Hwa\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/56e31cad2f3fd00c6933bcc75fd064f0\"},\"headline\":\"Mud, sweat, and tears: The hidden face of North Korean flood reconstruction efforts\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-10-07T07:50:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-06T05:10:03+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":458,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/2\\\/2024\\\/10\\\/20240930_sh_\ub3cc\uaca9\ub300-\uc5ec\uc131-\ucc9c\ub9c9-\ub0b4\ubd80.jpeg\",\"keywords\":[\"north pyongan province\",\"food shortages\",\"housing\",\"workers\",\"women\",\"clothing\",\"flooding\",\"construction\",\"sinuiju\"],\"articleSection\":[\"News\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.dailynk.com\\\/english\\\/mud-sweat-tears-hidden-face-north-korean-flood-reconstruction-efforts\\\/\",\"name\":\"Mud, sweat, and tears: The hidden face of North Korean flood reconstruction efforts - 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