Flooding destroys North Korean military base, hundreds of homes near border
At least 380 homes were washed away in flooding that likely occurred between July 20 and 23, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by NK News.
North Korean residents are seen working on the field from South Korea's observatory in Incheon on Oct. 14, 2025.
YONHAP
A large North Korean military base near the inter-Korean border suffered severe damage from flooding late last month, and hundreds of nearby homes were destroyed, NK News reported Thursday.
“At least 380 single-story homes were completely washed away by the flooding,” the U.S. outlet said, citing an analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs. “The homes surrounded the [military] base in central Singye County of North Hwanghae Province and along the river leading up to a busted dam to the east.”
The flooding is believed to have occurred between July 20 and 23 and likely displaced thousands of residents.
“It appears the major damage in Singye was caused by a flash flood event, suggesting there may have been little warning for residents in its path, likely causing deaths and injuries,” NK News said. “[Satellite] imagery also shows severe flooding and landslides to the east in Ichon and Phangyo counties, destroying roads and bridges and damaging homes and public buildings in late July.”
Satellite images also showed signs that a huge volume of water had poured down from the Wangdang No. 2 Reservoir after a dam was damaged. In some areas, the floodwater stretched hundreds of meters wider than the river’s normal width.
North Korean state media have yet to report the flood damage, but satellite imagery suggests that recovery work is underway.
“Satellite images taken between July 28 and Wednesday, however, showed what appeared to be camps of blue and orange tents in areas of Singye County where homes had been destroyed, suggesting that North Korean authorities had begun recovery efforts,” NK News said.
The flooding may also have affected military operations at the base.
“[The damaged military base] is a high-level Korean People’s Army administrative headquarters. If the Singye headquarters maintains a corps-level role connected to artillery forces, the flooding has likely had a significant impact on operations and wartime response capabilities,” NK News reported.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [kim.hayoon1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
