In an extraordinary public display of disciplinary action, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has summarily dismissed Vice Premier Yang Sung Ho during the inauguration of the Ryongsong Machine Complex in Hamgyong Province. State media reported Tuesday that Kim condemned what he characterized as widespread incompetence and defeatism among senior officials, making Yang’s dismissal a stark warning to the ruling apparatus.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) detailed how Kim openly criticized Yang’s performance, stating the official was ‘unfit to be entrusted with heavy duties.’ Employing a vivid agricultural metaphor, Kim remarked that appointing Yang was ‘like hitching a cart to a goat,’ emphasizing that ‘it is an ox that pulls a cart, not a goat.’ This rare public rebuke occurred as Kim toured the new industrial complex, a key component of a larger machinery-manufacturing belt that reportedly constitutes approximately 16 percent of the nation’s total machinery output.
Analysts interpret this move as a strategic shock tactic ahead of the Workers’ Party Congress, the first in five years, where economic policy and military planning are anticipated to be central agenda items. The public dismissal echoes the 2013 execution of Kim’s uncle, Jang Song Thaek, signaling a continued hardline stance against perceived disloyalty or inefficiency. This action occurs against a backdrop of chronic economic struggles, exacerbated by international sanctions and persistent food shortages, with Kim urging a rapid transformation from ‘centuries-old backwardness’ to a modernized economy capable of securing the state’s future.