North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dismissed a vice premier over troubles in a factory modernization project, an apparent move to tighten discipline among officials and push them to deliver greater results ahead of a major political conference, per the AP. The upcoming ruling Workers' Party congress, the first of its kind in five years, is one of North Korea's biggest propaganda spectacles and is intended to review past projects, establish new political and economic priorities, and reshuffle officials.
The Korean Central News Agency reported Tuesday that Kim blamed Yang Sung Ho, a vice premier in charge of the machine-building industry, for causing "unnecessary man-made confusion" in works to modernize the Ryongsong Machine Complex in the northeast. In a Monday speech marking the completion of the complex's first-stage modernization plan, Kim said the project suffered "not a small amount of economic loss" because of irresponsible and incompetent officials. Kim said he had already criticized Yang over related issues during a party meeting in December and watched him closely, but found that he felt no sense of responsibility at all, KCNA said.
Kim said the appointment had been a mistake. "He was like a goat yoked to pull an ox cart ... Could we expect a goat to pull a cart for an ox?" he said. Publicly scolding and firing officials is Kim's familiar management style. By doing so, Kim likely aimed to "create extreme tensions among senior officials" and pressure them to produce better results ahead of the party congress, said Kwak Gil Sup, the head of One Korea Center, a website specializing in North Korea affairs. Moon Seong Mook, an expert with the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy, said the factory project's troubles were more likely caused by North Korea's fundamental, structural problems such as dedicating scarce resources to weapons programs, rather than by individual officials such as Yang.
North Korea's economy suffered major setbacks during the COVID-19 pandemic. South Korea's central bank said North Korea's economy grew 3.7% in 2024, but many observers say the country would find it difficult to achieve major, rapid growth due to its excessive focus on weapons programs, its inefficient highly centralized economy, and international sanctions. Kwak said much of the benefits of North Korea's small economic growth have largely gone to its ruling elite and weapons development sector, not to the general public, further deepening inequalities. (That's pretty much the story worldwide.)
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
