By August 31, North Korea reported recovering from devastating floods thanks to vigorous work by its citizens and officials. Railway services had resumed with many sections of broken track restored. Telecommunications workers were reported restoring destroyed or submerged electrical cables. Yet, the dispatch made no mention of foreign assistance. The country's leader Kim Jong-Il thanked the leaders of 11 countries on September 11 for their help in flood relief, except South Korea even though they sent 37.4 billion won (39.8 million dollars) of relief aid.