Kim Jong-un dismissed a vice-premier in charge of the country’s machine-building industry, state media reported, in an apparent bid to strengthen discipline among senior officials ahead of the upcoming ruling Workers’ Party congress to establish new economic and other state objectives.
The Korean Central News Agency said yesterday that Kim blamed Yang Sung-ho for causing “unnecessary man-made confusion” in a speech marking the completion of a modernisation project at the Ryongsong Machine Complex on Monday.
Kim said the project suffered “not a small amount of economic loss” because of irresponsible and incompetent officials. Kim said authorities wasted “large amounts of funds and labour” and that the munitions industry sector was subsequently left with a heavier burden, according to KCNA.
Kim said he criticised Yang during a party meeting in December and watched him closely, but found that he felt no sense of responsibility at all, KCNA said.
In recent years, Kim has pushed to overcome what he calls defeatism, irresponsibility and passiveness at economic sectors as part of efforts to address the country’s chronic economic difficulties.
Kim has also occasionally publicly rebuked or fired senior officials to restore discipline or place blame on them for economic hardships and policy failures.
The North’s economy suffered major setbacks during the Covid-19 pandemic.
South Korea’s central bank said North Korea’s economy grew 3.7% in 2024, but many observers say it would be difficult to achieve major economic growth due to its devotion of scarce resources to weapons, its inefficient centralised economy and persistent international sanctions. — AP
