North Korea's Kim blasts 'irresponsible' top officials for flood damage

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during a meeting with Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu (not pictured), July 26, 2023 in this image released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency. KCNA via REUTERS/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has lashed out at top officials for their "irresponsible" response to flood damage, saying they had "spoiled" the national economy, state media reported on Tuesday.

Kim inspected a tideland on the west coast on Monday after seawater recently destroyed an embankment with inadequate drainage system, flooding more than 560 hectares of land, including over 270 hectares of rice paddies, news agency KCNA said.