Angry Kim Jong-un: "This Is a Massive Crime"... What Were North Korean Officials Doing?

Public Reprimand for Drinking Entertainment and Bribery to Restore Discipline
Aimed at Sustaining Momentum for the "Local Development 20X10 Policy"

Kim Jong Un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission of North Korea, publicly reprimanded the occurrence of "absolutely unforgivable crimes" related to misconduct by local officials, including "drinking entertainment" incidents in the provinces.

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un is presiding over the 30th Expanded Meeting of the 8th Secretariat at the Central Committee Headquarters of the Workers' Party of Korea in Pyongyang on the 27th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency via Korean Central News Agency

On the 29th, the Korean Central News Agency reported, "The 30th expanded meeting of the Secretariat of the 8th Central Committee of the Party was held at the Party Central Committee headquarters on the 27th," adding, "Comrade Kim Jong Un presided over the meeting." It further stated, "The meeting was convened in connection with serious incidents that recently occurred in Onchon County, Nampo City, and Usi County, Jagang Province, where party discipline was violently violated and negative privilege and special acts were committed, severely infringing upon the dignity and rights of the people."

According to materials and reports from the Party Central Committee and the Discipline Inspection Department, in Onchon County, Nampo City, after conducting the county party committee meeting in a 'highly formalistic manner,' a major incident occurred where about 40 officials collectively engaged in corrupt acts. The news agency reported, "Party leaders at all levels flagrantly violated party discipline by accepting drinking entertainment at service institutions."

In Usi County, Jagang Province, it was reported at the meeting that "agricultural inspection agency inspectors abused their sacred legal authority, causing suffering to local residents and recklessly infringing upon their property, committing unforgivable crimes without hesitation." It appears that officials abused their inspection authority by accepting bribes and extorting benefits from residents.

North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong Un held an expanded meeting of the Party Central Committee Secretariat on the 27th and decided to disband the Wusi County Agricultural Inspection Agency, which committed "anti-people acts" by abusing legal authority to infringe on residents' property, reorganize it, and strictly deal with the Wusi County Party Committee Secretary in charge (white circle) and inspectors who encouraged or condoned these acts, according to a report by the Korean Central News Agency on the 29th. The photo shows Kang Myong Song, the Wusi County Party Committee Secretary in charge, attending the completion ceremony of the Wusi County Local Industrial Factory on the 25th. Photo by Yonhap News via Korean Central News Agency

Regarding these incidents, Chairman Kim stated in his speech, "The local tyrants and bureaucrats are trying to destroy the sacred fortress of unity between the Party and the people without batting an eye," and criticized, "This is an absolutely unforgivable major crime against our Party, our people, our system, and our legal authority." He emphasized, "The discipline inspection sector must set fundamental targets and vigorously carry out 'sniping,' 'pursuit,' 'search,' and 'sweeping' operations based on strict regulations and detailed rules to proactively and actively suppress all forms of corruption and violations of party discipline, which the Party despises most."

The Secretariat of the Party Central Committee decided to dissolve the Party Committee of Onchon County, Nampo City, and the agricultural inspection agency of Usi County in accordance with the Workers' Party Charter. It also announced strict disciplinary measures against the responsible secretary of the Usi County Party Committee, the inspectors of the agricultural inspection agency, and other participants.

Chairman Kim's convening of the expanded Secretariat meeting early this year to firmly address local officials' misconduct is interpreted as an effort to strengthen internal unity and discipline among cadres to prevent public discontent and ensure the smooth implementation of the key project, the "Local Development 20X10 Policy," in the final year of the Party's 80th anniversary and the five-year economic development plan.