North Korea recently held accountable officials for the severe damage from the recent downpours in the northern border areas along the Amnok River.
According to Rodong Sinmun, state-run media, the decision was made at an emergency enlarged politburo meeting of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) held on Monday and Tuesday in the border city of Sinuiju in North Phyongan Province.
Kim Jong Un led the meeting, replacing the public security minister and the chiefs of the ruling party’s provincial committees.
During this meeting, North Korea appointed the new public security minister, Pang Tu Sop, the first vice director of the WPK political leadership department for military affairs. It is presumed that Minister Ri Thae Sop was dismissed from his position.
It also replaced chief secretaries of the WPK’s North Phyongan and Jagang provincial committees by appointing Ri Hi Yong and Pak Song Chol in the respective positions.
Earlier, there was speculation that Ri Hi Yong had been fired after he was not listed as a member of the State Funeral Committee for Kim Ki Nam in May. The reference to him as a “former” first deputy of the organizational leadership suggests he stepped down before being appointed as the secretary of North Pyongyang.
This personnel shuffle follows Kim Jong Un’s visit to disaster sites in Sinuiju and Uiju County, where he sharply criticized the negligence of state agencies and local officials that contributed to the disaster. He hinted at holding them accountable, and the personnel changes seemed to occur the following day.
The latest move can be interpreted as highlighting the seriousness of the recent flood disaster and emphasizing its intention to respond strongly to incidents that negatively impact human lives, livelihoods, and the economy.
The flood has also resulted in casualties.
At Monday’s gathering, Kim proposed strictly punishing those who severely neglected their responsible duties assigned by the Party and the state, which led to unacceptable casualties. This indicates that further personnel changes may be forthcoming.