Kim Jong-un Purges Officials After ‘Group Drinking Spree’ Exposed

Public rebukes of officials for alcohol-related behavior are rare in North Korea, where drinking is generally accepted and even encouraged at official functions.

Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has issued a rare public reprimand against dozens of ruling party officials for misconduct related to a “drinking spree”, according to state media reports.

During a meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) this week, Kim reportedly criticized officials in Onchon and Usi counties, where factories are being built under the “Regional Development 20×10 Policy,” an initiative aimed at modernizing rural areas.

Recent weeks saw major ceremonies marking the opening of factories producing clothing, food, and other goods in these regions, according to Seoul-based news outlet NK News.

In Onchon, a coastal county in western North Korea, more than 40 officials engaged in what state media KCNA described as a “group drinking spree”, an act condemned as a serious breach of party discipline.

‘Mega Crime’ Against the Party

“Never before in the history of our party has there been such a reckless act,” senior WPK officials said in a report cited by KCNA. “The collective drinking and delinquent behavior … runs utterly contrary to the party’s line on building discipline.”

In Usi, a southwestern county, officials were accused of committing “anti-people crimes” against local citizens, though KCNA did not specify the nature of these offenses.

Kim, addressing the WPK meeting, warned that officials who abuse power and act bureaucratically in local areas threaten the unity between the party and the people.

“This is a mega crime which can never be pardoned by our party, our people, our system, and our legal power,” Kim reportedly declared.

As part of the crackdown, Kim dissolved the WPK committee in Onchon and disbanded the “agricultural inspection organ” in Usi. Senior officials linked to the misconduct were also punished, according to state newspaper Rodong Sinmun.

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Unusual Public Criticism

Public rebukes of officials for alcohol-related behavior are rare in North Korea, where drinking is generally accepted and even encouraged at official functions. Such internal purges are typically carried out behind closed doors rather than publicized through state media.

Kim’s warning comes at a time of heightened military tensions. Earlier this week, he visited a nuclear facility and called for the expansion of North Korea’s nuclear fighting capability to counter what he described as threats from “hostile forces,” referring to the United States and South Korea.

His remarks coincide with growing speculation about a possible shift in U.S.-North Korea relations, as former U.S. President Donald Trump, who met Kim three times during his first term, seeks a return to the White House.

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