Seoul: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may have ordered around 30 government officials to be executed for failing to prevent the deaths of over a thousand people in recent flooding, the South Korean media reported. The heavy rain and landslides that struck Chagang Province caused numerous deaths, and injuries, and left many homeless.
North Korean Authorities vowed to take severe action against those who, it is alleged, could have done more to prevent the casualties, Chosun TV reported. Citing a North Korean official, the TV reported that those responsible for the unacceptable loss of life will face strict punishment. The report also mentioned that 20 to 30 officials from the flood-affected area were executed simultaneously late last month.
The North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim Jong Un ordered authorities to “strictly punish” officials following the devastating floods that struck Chagang Province, near the border with China, in July. In an emergency Politburo meeting presided in Sinuiju, leader Kim Jong Un asked authorities to “strictly punish” those who he said neglected their responsibilities for disaster prevention and caused “even the casualty that can not be allowed,” according to KCNA.
In July, severe rainfall triggered landslides and flooding in North Korea, affecting over 4,000 homes and leaving 15,000 residents displaced. Kim Jong Un himself visited the affected areas and stated that it would take several months to rebuild and restore the neighborhoods that were completely inundated by the floods. The government also provided shelter in Pyongyang facilities for 15,400 people, including vulnerable groups such as mothers, children, the elderly, and disabled soldiers.
