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UN Weather Agency May Assist North Korea


FILE - North Koreans walk on a pedestrian bridge in Pyongyang.
FILE - North Koreans walk on a pedestrian bridge in Pyongyang.
The United Nations' weather agency says it will consider helping North Korea with its forecasts.

The World Meteorological Organization's Christian Blondin Thursday told VOA’s Korean service that "if we receive any request from the government of DPRK, we will follow this up and see what can be done.”

He made the comment after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un directed his country’s weather service to improve its performance, saying its forecasts were too often wrong.

The U.N. weather agency in 2011 said North Korean weather service facilities were dilapidated and that its data collection practices fell below international standards.

Blondin says more accurate forecasts will benefit North Koreans and the international community.

The U.N. strongly encourages countries to share their weather data, saying global climate change has made natural disaster forecasting more difficult.

This report was produced in collaboration with the VOA Indonesian service.
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    Jee Abbey Lee

    Jee Abbey Lee is a veteran broadcast journalist with more than 10 years of experience in TV, radio, and the web. She serves as Voice of America's social media correspondent and is an expert of millennial lifestyle. 

    Lee received her graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Prior to joining VOA, she worked at the Seoul bureau of CNN Travel and served as the chief Bank of Korea correspondent for Arirang TV. 

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