Pyongyang: North Korea’s Supreme Leader, Kim Jong Un, has reportedly ordered the execution of at least 30 government officials held responsible for the widespread damage caused by severe floods this summer, which resulted in the deaths of thousands.
According to a report by South Korea’s Chosun TV on Tuesday, between 20 and 30 officials, including provincial governors, were sentenced to capital punishment last month for “failing to prevent flooding.” The report cited a government official who stated, “It has been determined that 20 to 30 cadres in the flood-stricken area were executed at the same time late last month,” adding that “circumstances involving the dismissed Chagang Province Party Secretary Kang Bong-hoon have been captured and are being confirmed.”
The report further indicated that several other officials faced charges of corruption and dereliction of duty. A former North Korean diplomat was quoted saying, “Even though there was recent flood damage, they were dismissed for social security reasons, and the executives themselves are so anxious that they don’t know when their necks will fall off…”
Meanwhile, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un had ordered authorities to “strictly punish” the officials after catastrophic floods struck Chagang Province, located near the border with China, in July.
However, due to the extreme secrecy surrounding the North Korean regime, confirming the details of these reports remains challenging.
In July, North Korea’s state media reported that heavy rains in northwestern parts of the country had flooded thousands of houses and vast tracts of farmland, leaving many residents homeless and living in makeshift tents. The floods reportedly claimed the lives of between 3,500 and 4,000 people. North Korea is particularly vulnerable to flooding during the summer due to inadequate drainage systems, deforestation, and aging infrastructure.
In a separate development, Russian media reported on Wednesday that a Russian company registered in the far eastern city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur has received clearance to import beer produced in North Korea, marking the latest sign of increasingly warm ties between Moscow and Pyongyang.
