North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un ordered the execution of about 30 officials due to negligence during the August floods in the country, according to the South Korean TV Chosun portal.
TV Chosun cited information from a person associated with Kim's regime, claiming that 20 to 30 officials were accused of corruption and neglect of duties, leading to their death sentences. The executions reportedly took place at the end of August.
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According to North Korean media, heavy rains at the end of July submerged about 4,100 homes, extensive farmland, and many public buildings, roads, and railways in the city of Uiji and the neighboring Sinuiju, which lie on the border with China along the Amnok River. No information was provided about any possible fatalities.
However, South Korean media claimed that the damage is likely greater than reported by KCNA, and the number of deaths could exceed 1,000.
At a meeting with officials and affected residents reported by the North Korean KCNA agency in early August, Kim Jong Un ordered the evacuation of about 15,400 people, including children, women, and the elderly. They were relocated to the country's capital, Pyongyang. The regime leader estimated that rebuilding homes and clearing the flood-affected areas would take about two to three months. Kim Jong Un also blamed local authorities for not preventing the disaster.