Rain storms triggered by Typhoon Wipha from Tuesday to Friday last week caused heavy losses in various sectors of the economy, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

About 14,000 houses, 8,000 public buildings and 300 production buildings were destroyed or damaged and deluged, while more than 109,000 hectares (270,000 acres) of farm land were flooded, it said.

"The recent rainstorms brought about difficulties to the rehabilitation work," it said.

Last month's devastating floods, which relief agencies said were the worst in a decade, left at least 600 people dead or missing.

North Korea was already reliant on international aid to help make up a food shortfall of one million tonnes -- 20 percent of its needs -- even before the August rains.