North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may have ordered the execution of at least thirty government officials last month. The officials were allegedly punished for their inability to prevent the devastating floods that occurred over the summer, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people, according to a report from South Korea’s TV Chosun.
The document quoted a source as saying that” Twenty to 30 functionaries in the flood-stricken region were executed at the same time late last month.”
The North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA ) reported that Kim had instructed authorities to” strictly punish” the officials following the catastrophic floods in the Chagang Province, close to the Chinese border, in July, despite the country’s extreme secrecy.
In Sinuiju, in the northern city of Sinuiju and the nearby town of Uiju, heavy rains in late July reportedly led to flooding in more than 4, 000 houses and a large number of people houses, structures, roads, and railroads. Kim charged public officers with ignoring catastrophe prevention measures and held them accountable for the casualties.
Despite offers of aid from China, Russia, and also South Korea, the North has refused help, with tensions between the two Koreas remaining at an all-time high. Kim met with disaster victims and discussed treatment plans during a two-day journey of Uiju in first August.
