Kim Jong-un has publicly chastised more than 40 North Korean officials for excessive drinking, in what marks a rare admission of misconduct within the country’s ruling elite. The furious denunciation occurred during a routine meeting of a party committee and is seen as an attempt to set an example for other cadres, discouraging complacency in their duties. Times UK reported that heavy drinking is not typically viewed as a moral failing in North Korea, making this public rebuke all the more surprising.
The offending behavior took place in Onchon and Usi counties, where officials were participating in a nationwide initiative aimed at revitalizing these regions by constructing factories. The openings of these facilities were accompanied by celebrations, during which some officials are said to have overindulged in alcohol. State media, in a report by the Korean Central News Agency, labeled these actions as “anti-people acts going against the requirements of the times.”
In Onchon, the incident was described as a “mega case,” involving more than 40 officials, including party members, who were allegedly involved in a group drinking spree. According to the Workers’ Party’s discipline inspection department, the actions of these officials were in direct violation of the party’s strict policies on maintaining discipline, calling those involved a “corrupt group and impudent rabble.”
While the specific details of the misconduct in Usi remain unclear, official reports suggest corruption may have been at play. Kim Jong-un addressed the secretariat of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party, condemning the abuse of power and the bureaucratic attitudes of those involved. “This is a mega crime which can never be pardoned by our party, our people, our system, and our legal power,” he stated, emphasizing the severity of the offense.
North Korea has long been known for its purges, but they are typically carried out in secret. The public nature of this rebuke is rare, with the 2013 execution of Kim’s uncle, Chang Song-thaek, being one of the few other instances where high-profile punishment was openly reported. Chang, who had been Kim’s closest adviser, was executed after being accused of a range of crimes, including plotting a coup and causing a monument to be erected in an undesirable location.
