Kim Jong Un executes 30 officials for not preventing deaths from floods

Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of 30 officials accusing them of failure in preventing a devastating flooding and landslides.

South Korean media also reported the alleged execution had taken place late last month.

South Korea's Chosun TV reported citing a North Korean official that Kim Jong Un meted out ‘strict punishment’ to those were responsible for ''unacceptable loss'' in the floods that claimed nearly 1,000 lives.

The official reportedly said that 20 to 30 cadres in the flood-stricken area were executed at the same time last month. The identities of the executed officials are not yet known.

However, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Kim Jong-un removed from their positions officials including Kang Bong-hoon, who was the secretary of the Chagang Province Provincial Party Committee since 2019.

North Korea witnessed landslides following heavy rains affecting over 4,000 home, displacing 15,000 residents in July.

The government set up shelter in Pyongyang for 15,400 people including mothers, children, the elderly, and disabled soldiers.

Visiting the affected areas, Kim Jong Un stated that it would take several months to rebuild and restore the neighbourhoods.

The North Korean leader termed reports of a high death toll from the flooding ‘false rumours’, accusing South Korea of engaging in ‘ smear campaign’ to damage the country’s reputation.

Meanwhile, Korea Times reported that the country’s public executions have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Where the country saw 10 public executions a year before Covid, the number has now hit nearly 100 incidents annually.