North Korea urged officials to thoroughly prepare for summer disasters, recalling the Anseok reclaimed land flooding incident from last year that had enraged North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun emphasized this point on the day, stating, “We cannot forget the Anseok reclaimed land,” and “It is important to deeply remember the lessons of the flood and actively and tenaciously demonstrate our capabilities.”
Last August, Kim harshly criticized the irresponsible behavior of related officials when he visited the flood site, which caused extensive crop damage. He scolded Kim Tok Hun, the Premier who oversees the economy, saying, “The administrative and economic discipline of the Kim Tok Hun Cabinet has become increasingly chaotic.”
The newspaper pointed out that workers’ insensitive nerves, self-preservation mentality, severe selfishness, pursuit of only their unit’s interests, and incompetent and irresponsible behavior caused the flood.
It also criticized units still formally and cunningly conducting projects to enhance disaster prevention capabilities while ignoring the dangers of recurring disaster-prone weather that the Party has repeatedly warned about and taken proactive measures to overcome in recent years.
It emphasized that “the attitude and position towards disaster prevention projects are directly connected to the attitude of protecting the Party and the revolution and loving the nation and the people” and that “all levels of Party organizations and officials must deeply remember the serious lessons of Anseok reclaimed land and vigorously carry out organizational and political work to respond to disastrous weather phenomena thoroughly.”
From July 11 to 12, Kim visited the Samjiyon development site near Mount Paektu and strongly criticized the construction sector officials for their dereliction of duty, ordering the punishment of deputy department heads of the Organizational Guidance Department of the Party Central Committee.
This seems to be an effort by North Korea to enforce strict discipline among officials to advance the planned national economic development. The newspaper also highlighted the role of workers during the expanded meetings of the Pyongyang City and Provincial Party Committee plenaries. These meetings were held to implement the Party’s decisions for the second half of the year. The report emphasized that “improving work methods and style is an urgent task in the overall work of the Party and state at this time.”
