North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of up to 30 of his officials, accusing them of failing to prevent massive floods and landslides that claimed the lives of 4,000 people. More than 15,000 people in Chagang province were displaced due to damage. An unnamed official told South Korean broadcaster TV Chosun tens of Kim’s leaders were charged and sentenced to capital punishment over alleged “corruption” and “dereliction of duty.”“It has been determined that 20 to 30 cadres in the flood-stricken area were executed at the same time late last month,” the official told the outlet. . The North Korean Central News Agency had earlier reported Kim said “those who caused unacceptable casualties will be strictly punished" after he visited areas devastated by floods in July. Kim after touring the flooded area around Yalu River, reportedly held an “emergency meeting on a special train” where he dismissed Kang and the minister of public safety. Among the executed leaders was Chagang province provincial party committee secretary Kang Bong-hoon, who has held the seat since 2019, and some provincial governors, though a full list of names was not released, TV Chosun reported. "Circumstances involving the dismissed Chagang Province Party Secretary Kang Bong-hoon have been captured and are being confirmed," said the unnamed official. Kang is ranked in the top 30 party officials and is a former deputy director of the Munitions Industry Department. He accompanied Kim as he toured the flooded regions. .Former North Korean diplomat Lee Il-gyu, of the International Korean Peninsula Forum, told TV Chosun tensions among officials are high, and no one knows when doomsday will arrive. "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,” said Lee. The Korea Times reported before the COVID-19 pandemic, the state conducted on average 10 public executions each year — but the rate has skyrocketed, with more than 100 executions in 2023.
