Reports indicate that 30 government officials in North Korea have been executed due to their purported failure to adequately address the devastating floods and landslides that resulted in the tragic loss of over 4,000 lives last month. According to a report by South Korean outlet TV Chosun, the officials have been charged with corruption and dereliction of duty.
The devastating flooding in July had a profound impact on Chagang province, resulting in the displacement of over 15,000 individuals and extensive damage throughout the region. The city of Sinuiju and the surrounding area of Uiju experienced significant damage, with thousands of homes, acres of farmland, and crucial infrastructure such as roads, buildings, and railway lines severely affected.
According to The Independent, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly taken action against the officials responsible for the inadequate disaster management by ordering harsh penalties. The North Korean Central News Agency also reported that authorities were instructed to take strong action against those responsible for the failure. According to an unnamed official within the Kim regime, a significant number of high-ranking cadres in the flood-stricken areas were reportedly executed towards the end of last month.
Nevertheless, the report still awaits independent verification, which raises concerns regarding the accuracy of the information originating from the secretive state.
According to AP, North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has stated that the country will not be accepting any international aid in the wake of the destructive floods. However, he directed officials to move thousands of displaced residents to the capital, Pyongyang, in order to provide them with improved care and support. The government expected that the reconstruction would last for a duration of two to three months. Their plan was to provide assistance to approximately 15,400 individuals in Pyongyang who were in need during this time.
According to TV Chosun, Kim Jong-un has recently removed Kang Bong-hoon from his role as the provincial party committee secretary for Chagang Province, as part of the ongoing crackdown on officials.
According to South Korea’s Korea Times, North Korea has a track record of public executions, with an average of 10 happening each year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, the number has reportedly increased to over 100 annually. This rise is attributed to North Korea’s unstable economy, international sanctions, and the impact of natural disasters.
Reports of executions from North Korea have surfaced before. According to a report by TV Chosun in 2019, it was stated that Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea’s nuclear envoy to the U.S., was executed due to his inability to arrange a summit between Kim Jong-un and then-President Donald Trump. Nevertheless, CNN later disclosed that Kim Hyok Chol was alive, which raises questions about the credibility of certain reports from the isolated nation.
