Kim Jong Un lashes out at 'No. 2' Prime Minister

The video you just saw is from North Korea's Korean Central Television this morning.

It's North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticizing his cabinet minister, Kim Deok-hoon, in some very harsh language, saying that he didn't handle his job properly after the tideland levee broke and flooded farmland.

Kim Deok-hoon is a cabinet minister who became prime minister in 2020 at the relatively young age of 59, overseeing the economy.

He is literally the top man in North Korea, often wearing the leather long coat that symbolizes "Kim Jong Un's closest confidant" on economic tours, and often being called by name after Kim Jong Un at major events.

This is a man who has been singled out and harshly criticized in a medium that is seen by the entire population.

Of course, there have been times when Kim has criticized the behavior of his officials as a disciplinary measure.

In 2015, when he was still in power, he visited a snapping turtle aquaculture factory and criticized its mismanagement, calling it "pathetic"

He's also been seen in public criticizing economic issues at cabinet meetings with a scowl on his face, or scolding executives with a frown on his face when he says there's a "major incident" regarding coronavirus prevention.

However, it is quite unusual to single out a specific person in such a way and deliver a verbatim account of a high-level reprimand.

[Bong Young-sik / Research Fellow, Yonsei Institute for Unification Studies : I would say it's the kind of statement that puts all the blame on one person because of political necessity, that someone has to be a clear scapegoat because the economy is so bad right now.]

Now that there has been public criticism, the analysis is that the next step will be a major personnel move.

It will be interesting to see who will emerge as North Korea's new No. 2, and how such a change will affect the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

취재기자 : 한연희

앵커 : 김영수

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