North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of at least 30 officials for their alleged failure to prevent devastating flooding and landslides that reportedly killed 1,000 people in July this year, according to South Korean media reports.
The devastating flooding and landslides triggered by incessant rainfall over weeks affected over 4,000 homes and left around 15,000 residents displaced.
Citing a North Korean official, South Korea's Chosun TV reported that Kim Jong Un called for ''strict punishment'' to those deemed responsible for the ''unacceptable loss'' of life caused by the recent flooding.
''It has been determined that 20 to 30 cadres in the flood-stricken area were executed at the same time late last month,'' the official was quoted as having said.
Officials were also charged with corruption and dereliction of duty. The executions reportedly took place late last month.
While the identities of the executed officials remain undisclosed, the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kang Bong-hoon, the secretary of the Chagang Province Provincial Party Committee since 2019, was among the leaders removed from their positions by Kim Jong-un.
Earlier in July, Kim Jong Un visited the affected areas and stated that it would take several months to rebuild and restore the neighbourhoods that were completely inundated by the floods.
The government also provided shelter in Pyongyang facilities for over 15 people, including vulnerable groups such as mothers, children, the elderly, and disabled soldiers.
The North Korean leader denied reports of a high death toll from the flooding, dismissing the claims as "false rumours."
He accused South Korea of spreading these rumours as part of a deliberate "smear campaign" designed to damage North Korea's reputation globally.
Lee Il-gyu, a former North Korean diplomat at the International Korean Peninsula Forum said, "Even though there was recent flood damage, they were dismissed for social security reasons, and the executives themselves are so anxious that they don't know when their necks will fall off."
North Korea's public executions have surged dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Korea Times.
The country typically saw around 10 public executions per year before the pandemic. However, that number has gone high to around 100 annual public executions, representing a tenfold increase.
