North Korean leader Kim Jong-un executes officials over deadly floods in North Korea.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered the execution of 20 to 30 officials for their alleged failure to prevent the severe flooding and landslides that hit Chagang Province this past summer.
 |
| Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images |
The executions have not yet been independently confirmed, but TV Chosun - a South Korean pay television network, reported that the officials were executed in late August. “It has been determined that 20 to 30 cadres in the flood-stricken area were executed at the same time late last month,” a source within Kim’s regime told the outlet.
According to South Korean media, these disasters resulted in the deaths of around 4,000 people, and the officials were executed for corruption and neglect of their duties.
Earlier, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) had reported that Kim Jong-un had ordered authorities to “strictly punish” officials following the catastrophic flooding in Chagang Province in July.
The flooding displaced over 15,000 people, in addition to the significant loss of life. While the exact identity of those executed remains unknown, the report indicated that Kang Bong-hoon, the Provincial Party Committee Secretary for Chagang Province since 2019, was among the officials dismissed by Kim during an emergency meeting convened at the time of the disaster.
Following the execution of key figures in Chagang Province, former North Korean diplomat Lee Il-gyu has told TV Chosun that officials in the region were terrified, saying they were “so anxious that they don’t know when their necks will fall off.”
 |
| Donald Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 27, 2019. Evan Vucci / AP file |
Last month, Kim Jong-un personally visited the flood-stricken areas, where he assessed the damage and interacted with local residents. He reportedly estimated that the rebuilding process could take several months due to the extent of the devastation.
However, despite the reports of a massive death toll from the disaster, Kim denied claims made by South Korean sources, denying that thousands of people had died in the floods.
This isn’t the first time Kim has reportedly resorted to executions as a means of punishing officials for perceived failures. In 2019, there were reports that Kim Hyok Chol, North Korea’s nuclear envoy to the United States, had been executed for failing to secure a summit between Kim and then-US President Donald Trump. However, it was later revealed that Chol had not been executed but was instead being held in state custody.
Public executions have a long history in North Korea, where they are often used as a method of controlling the population and enforcing the regime's will. According to the Korea Times, before the COVID-19 pandemic, North Korea averaged about 10 public executions per year. However, this number is believed to have spiked significantly last year, with reports of at least 100 executions. Kim Jong-un’s regime's strict and often brutal measures are used to suppress conflicts and maintain tight control over the country.