Kim Jong Un executes officials over flood negligence, reports say
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of approximately 30 officials. According to the South Korean TV Chosun portal, the reason for this is negligence during the August floods in the country.
TV Chosun cited information from a person associated with Kim's regime, according to whom 20 to 30 officials were accused of corruption and neglect of duties. The state sentenced them to death. The executions were supposed to have taken place at the end of August.
According to North Korean media, as a result of heavy rains at the end of July, about 4,100 homes, as well as extensive farmland and many public buildings, roads, and railways, were submerged. This took place in Uiji and the neighbouring Sinuiju, which lie just on the border with China along the Amnok River. No information was provided about any possible fatalities.
However, South Korean media claimed that the damage is likely to be much greater than reported by KCNA, and the number of deaths could exceed 1,000.
At a meeting with officials and affected residents reported by the North Korean KCNA agency in early August, Kim Jong Un ordered the evacuation of about 15,400 people, including children, women, and the elderly. They were relocated to the country's capital, Pyongyang. The regime leader assessed that rebuilding homes and clearing the flood-affected areas would take about two to three months. The dictator also blamed the local authorities for not preventing the disaster.
North Korean authorities have not confirmed reports of sentences and executions of officials responsible for negligence during the floods.
