North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dismissed Deputy Premier Yang Sung-ho, publicly criticizing senior officials for “incompetence, irresponsibility, and passivity” during the inauguration of a major industrial machinery complex, according to state-run media.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Kim ordered Yang’s removal “on the spot,” sharply rebuking officials he described as “irresponsible, rude, and unfit.” KCNA quoted Kim saying, “Comrade Vice Premier, please resign yourself before it’s too late.”
Despite North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, the country faces severe economic challenges and chronic food shortages due to international sanctions. While Kim has previously criticized officials for mismanagement, openly dismissing a senior leader in public is considered rare.
During Monday’s inspection of the industrial complex in Hamgyong Province, Kim stated that long-standing defeatist and passive officials were obstructing the state’s development. He described Yang as “unfit to carry heavy responsibilities” and admitted a “mistake” in cadre appointments. Emphasizing the need for effective leadership, Kim remarked, “A cart-pulling ox is needed, not a goat.”
State media released images showing Kim addressing workers in northeastern North Korea with a stern demeanor. Analysts note that the country’s long-term focus on the military, combined with weak infrastructure, deforestation, and decades of poor management, has heightened risks from floods and droughts.
According to Yang Mu-jin of the University of North Korean Studies, the new machinery complex is part of an industrial belt linking northeastern regions to Wonsan in the south, contributing roughly 16% of the nation’s total machinery output. Yang’s public dismissal is seen as a move to enforce discipline within the ruling party and warn other officials.
Pyongyang is preparing for the first party conference in five years, with economic policy, defense, and military planning expected to be key agenda items.
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