In a harsh response to the catastrophic flooding that struck North Korea in July, leader Kim Jong Un allegedly ordered the execution of up to 30 officials. The executions were reportedly carried out due to their failure to prevent the devastation caused by severe rainfall, which triggered landslides and flooding across the country, displacing over 15,000 people and affecting more than 4,000 homes.
According to a report by South Korea’s Chosun TV, citing a North Korean official, Kim Jong Un demanded “strict punishment” for those responsible for what he called the “unacceptable loss” of approximately 1,000 lives. The officials were also accused of corruption and dereliction of duty. The executions are said to have taken place late last month.
“It has been determined that 20 to 30 cadres in the flood-stricken area were executed simultaneously,” the unnamed official stated. Although the identities of the executed individuals remain undisclosed, North Korea’s state media, KCNA, reported that Kang Bong-hoon, the secretary of the Chagang Province Provincial Party Committee since 2019, was among those removed from their posts.
Kim Jong Un personally visited the flood-affected areas in July, acknowledging that it would take several months to rebuild the destroyed neighborhoods. The North Korean government provided temporary shelter in Pyongyang for 15,400 displaced residents, including vulnerable groups such as mothers, children, the elderly, and disabled soldiers.
Despite reports of a high death toll from the disaster, Kim Jong Un dismissed these claims as “false rumors,” accusing South Korea of orchestrating a “smear campaign” to tarnish North Korea’s international image.
Lee Il-gyu, a former North Korean diplomat, commented, “Even though there was recent flood damage, officials were dismissed for social security reasons, and many in the leadership are now living in fear, uncertain of their own futures.”
