North Korea Executes 30 Officials Over Response To Flooding

North Korea executed 30 government officials last month for their alleged failure to effectively respond to devastating floods and landslides that claimed the lives of over 4,000 people, according to a report by South Korean outlet TV Chosun. The officials were charged with corruption and dereliction of duty.

The catastrophic flooding struck the Chagang province in July, displacing more than 15,000 people and causing widespread destruction.

The northwestern city of Sinuiju and the neighbouring Uiju were particularly hard-hit, with over 4,100 homes, 7,410 acres of farmland, and vital infrastructure, including roads, buildings, and railway lines, severely damaged.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un reportedly ordered harsh penalties for the officials deemed responsible for the inadequate disaster response.

North Korea has a history of public executions, with an average of 10 occurring annually before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to South Korea’s Korea Times.

The report comes after North Korea declared it would not accept international aid following the floods, with Kim Jong-un ordering officials to relocate thousands of displaced residents to the capital, Pyongyang, where they would receive better care and support.

The government anticipated that rebuilding efforts would take two to three months, during which time it planned to support nearly 15,400 vulnerable people in Pyongyang.