Kim Jong-un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, speaks during the eighth congress of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang on Jan 11, 2021. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

SEOUL - The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) leader Kim Jong-un has mobilized the military to carry out relief work in areas recently hit by heavy rains, state media said on Sunday.

The ruling Worker's Party's Central Military Commission held a meeting of its chapter in the eastern province of South Hamgyong to discuss damage and recovery from the downpour, the official KCNA news agency said.

The official KCNA news agency did not specify the extent of rain damage but said the military commission explored emergency measures to rebuild the disaster-stricken areas, stabilize people's living, prevent the coronavirus and minimize crop injuries

Kim did not attend the meeting but party officials conveyed his message that the military should kick off a relief campaign and provide necessary supplies in the region, KCNA said.

"It was also emphasized that he called for awakening and arousing the (party) officials...into waging the recovery campaign skilfully and unyieldingly," KCNA said.

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KCNA did not specify the extent of rain damage but said the military commission explored emergency measures to rebuild the disaster-stricken areas, stabilize people's living, prevent the coronavirus and minimize crop injuries.

Kim said in June the country faced a "tense" food situation, citing the coronavirus pandemic and last year's typhoons, and recently the Republic of Korea's (ROK) central bank said the DPRK's economy suffered its biggest contraction in 23 years in 2020. 

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The DPRK has not confirmed any COVID-19 cases but closed borders, halted trade and imposed strict prevention measures, seeing the pandemic as an issue of national survival.

The ROK's lawmakers said last week that the DPRK needed some 1 million tonnes of rice, with military and emergency reserves running out.