Editor-DN
The execution was reportedly carried out late last month.
Several South Korean media reports indicate that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ordered the execution of 30 officials, allegedly for failing to prevent catastrophic flooding and landslides. The disasters reportedly resulted in around 1,000 deaths. According to a South Korean report Chosen TVCiting a North Korean official, Kim Jong-un called for severe punishment for those deemed responsible for the “unacceptable damage” caused by recent floods. Charges of corruption and dereliction of duty were also leveled at the officers. The execution was reportedly carried out late last month.
“It has been determined that 20 to 30 cadres were hanged at the same time late last month in the flooded area,” the official was quoted as saying.
Although the identities of the executed officials have not been disclosed, North Korea’s Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kang Bong-hoon, secretary of the provincial party committee of Chagang province since 2019, was among the leaders executed by Kim Jong-un. were removed from their positions. United Nations
Heavy rains triggered landslides and floods in North Korea in July, affecting more than 4,000 homes and displacing 15,000 residents. Kim Jong-un himself visited the affected areas and said that it will take several months to rebuild and restore the neighborhoods completely submerged by the floods. The government also provided shelters in facilities in Pyongyang for 15,400 people, including mothers, children, elderly and disabled soldiers.
However, the North Korean leader denied reports of more casualties from the floods, dismissing the claims as “false rumours”. He accused South Korea of spreading the rumors as part of a deliberate “smear campaign” to damage North Korea’s international reputation.
Lee Il-gyu, a former North Korean diplomat at the International Korean Peninsula Forum, commented, “Despite the damage from the recent floods, they were dismissed for social security reasons, and the executives themselves Anxious that they don’t know when their necks will come off.”
According to The Korea TimesNorth Korea has seen a dramatic increase in public executions since the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, the country typically carried out around 10 public executions per year. However, the number has risen to nearly 100 public executions per year, representing a tenfold increase.
