The government of North Korea has executed “20 to 30 cadres” after severe flooding resulted in the destruction of thousands of acres of farmland along the border with China, according to South Korean officials.
The individuals were blamed for the disaster, although it’s not clear if they were executed due to actually contributing to the problem or the government simply executed them to appear as if it was correcting the problem. Natural disasters are frequently the result of random events, however the deaths of over 5,000 North Koreans in the flooding forced a response from the government.
The executed individuals were charged with negligence and corruption, though in North Korea it’s impossible to know how legitimate the accusations were.
South Korean media reported that North Korean Leader Kim Jong-un had a meeting with Chagang Province Provincial Party Committee Secretary Kang Bong-hoon, as well as the Minister of Public Safety and fired both officials shortly after the flooding.
Former North Korean diplomat Lee Il-gyu told South Korean media that the firings were for “social security reasons,” implying that it was done to create the appearance of government action. He also said that the individuals were likely waiting for the possibility of being executed after they were fired.
The flooding of the Yalu River last month damaged over 4,000 buildings and thousands of acres of farmland. The many areas around Uiju county and Sinuiju city were totally under water. Additionally Jagang, North Pyongan, and Ryanggang also suffered heavy damage due to the flooding last month.
North Korea regularly executes public officials who have failed or are blamed for major failures. South Korean media claims that prior to the pandemic, roughly 10 officials were executed by the government of North Korea per year. The number jumped to around 100 per year thereafter. The North has also started killing young people as more are being influenced by South Korea and its Western-style government and respect for individual rights.
North Korea denies executing public officials and says it only does so rarely.
