Jan 20, Kathmandu - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has dismissed Vice Premier Yang Seung-ho.

State media reported that Kim had issued an unusually harsh and public criticism of the “incompetence, irresponsibility and inaction” of top officials during the inauguration of a key industrial machinery complex.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim ordered Yang to be dismissed “on the spot.” He strongly rebuked the “irresponsible, corrupt and incompetent” officials, saying, “Please, Comrade Vice Premier, resign before it is too late,” KCNA quoted him as saying.

Nuclear-armed North Korea has been struggling with severe economic challenges and chronic food shortages due to international sanctions. Kim has criticized officials in the past for allegedly poor implementation of economic policies. But such an open dismissal is rare.

During a tour of the industrial complex in North Hamgyong Province on Monday, Kim said cadres who had been “long-suffering in defeatism and inaction” were hindering the country’s development. He said Yang was “unfit to shoulder heavy responsibilities” and admitted to an “accidental mistake” in cadre appointments. “It is the ox that pulls the cart, not the goat,” Kim said, stressing the need for effective and capable leadership.