North Korea executes 30 officials over floods mishandling

SHAH ALAM – North Korea executed at least 30 government officials for failing to handle the aftermath of a massive flood in late July, which claimed thousands of lives in the northern regions of the country.

South Korean news channel TV Chosun, citing an unnamed government official, reported that around 20 to 30 regional government officials in the flood-affected areas were executed in August.

The devastating flood might have killed up to several thousand people in the most severely affected areas in Jagang Province, according to the cable TV report.

A spokesman for South Korea's National Intelligence Service said they were closely monitoring the situation after receiving intelligence related to the development, without providing further details.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handled relations with the North, declined to comment on the matter.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, at an emergency meeting in late July, said he would sternly punish those who had ‘severely neglected’ their duties, holding them responsible for the high death toll.

North Korea's propagandist distributed images of Kim overseeing rescue efforts in the wake of the disaster but did not report any deaths.

North Korean state media reported that heavy rains damaged around 4,100 homes, washed away roads and rail networks and destroyed about 3,000 hectares of farmland in the city of Sinuiju.

The city is a trade hub connected to China via a bridge and the nearby district of Uiju.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that about 5,000 people were rescued in the natural disaster.

TV Chosun reported that the flood damage was more widespread to the north in Jagang Province, which borders China and is the location of the upper and middle reaches of the Yalu River, known as the Amnok River in Korea.

South Korean media reported that several bodies were found during land-clearing efforts after water levels receded.