North Korea’s Kim sacks ‘irresponsible’ officials over new town project

(Reuters)

SEOUL, July 14 – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sacked or demoted some senior officials for their “irresponsible” handling of his flagship project to build a new town in the country’s north, state media KCNA said on Sunday.

Kim announced the decision while visiting Samjiyon, where North Korea has been building what it called a “socialist utopia” and “a model of highly-civilised mountain city” with new apartments, hotels, a ski resort and commercial, cultural and medical facilities.

While praising builders for their achievements so far, Kim said the irresponsibility of senior officials had caused a series of serious deviations including poor construction work and financial losses.

He singled out Ri Sun Chol, minister of state construction control who was appointed in September, as a “good-for-nothing person” who has never even been to the site since December, suspending him and calling for a formal investigation.

Kim also suspended all members of a construction inspection committee for the project, demoted a ruling Worker’s Party official responsible for the matter, and vowed to reexamine vice premier and others over their neglect of duty.

“Going round the newly-built hotels for domestic tourists, he severely pointed out that their construction was carried out at an outdated and backward level,” KCNA quoted Kim as saying.