Pyongyang: North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has openly reprimanded party officials for being treated to drinks and other irregularities, calling them a "mega crime," in what is seen as an effort to tighten internal discipline, according to state media. Kim made the remarks while guiding the 30th enlarged meeting of the Secretariat of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, held on Monday, in connection with "serious cases ... of violating party discipline and exercising negative privileges," the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting exposed "wrong deeds" of officials in Onchon Country, Nampho Municipality, and Usi County of Jagang Province. The KCNA report referred to the party's findings, accusing 40 officials in Onchon of poor preparations for a plenary meeting of the county party committee and being treated to drinking bouts at public service facilities in "an act of flagrant violation of party discipline." Agricultural inspectors in Usi were also accused of "an unpardonable crime of inflicting sufferings on regional inhabitants and misappropriating their property at random by abusing the inviolable legal power."
Delivering a speech during the meeting, Kim labeled the irregularities "a mega crime which can never be pardoned" and "a grave crime of violating party discipline and moral and cultural order." He emphasized the importance of recognizing such deviations and addressing them as serious cases promptly, highlighting "the transformation of cadres" as essential to the new course of party building.
The Central Committee's Secretariat decided to dissolve the party committee of the Onchon County and the agricultural inspection organ of the Usi County, which will be replaced by a new organization to be formed. The disciplinary action aims at strengthening internal discipline as Kim pushes domestic efforts for regional development under his "Regional Development 20x10 Policy" and seeks tangible economic achievements in the year marking the 80th anniversary of the party's establishment.