{"id":3038,"date":"2026-01-20T13:34:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T13:34:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mogitojournals.org\/?p=3038"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:43:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T12:43:25","slug":"kim-jong-un-fires-vice-premier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mogitojournals.org\/fr\/kim-jong-un-fires-vice-premier\/","title":{"rendered":"North Korea\u2019s Kim Jong Un Fires Vice Premier in Rare Public Rebuke Ahead of Party Congress"},"content":{"rendered":"
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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un<\/strong> has dismissed a senior economic official and openly condemned party cadres for incompetence, an unusually public act of censure in one of the world\u2019s most secretive political systems. The move signals heightened internal pressure as Pyongyang prepares for a pivotal ruling party meeting expected to shape the country\u2019s economic and political trajectory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA)<\/strong>, Kim fired Vice Premier Yang Sung-ho<\/strong> during an on-site inspection marking the first-stage completion of a modernisation project at the Ryongsong Machine Complex<\/strong>, a key industrial facility. Yang was removed \u201con the spot,\u201d with Kim declaring him \u201cunfit to be entrusted with heavy duties.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A Rare Public Dismissal in North Korea\u2019s Power Structure<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Public sackings of senior officials are uncommon in North Korea, where leadership changes are typically opaque and announced only after the fact. Kim\u2019s decision to rebuke Yang publicly\u2014and in vivid language\u2014represents a deliberate political signal rather than a routine personnel change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

KCNA quoted Kim as likening the appointment of Yang to \u201chitching a cart to a goat<\/strong>,\u201d adding that \u201cit is an ox that pulls a cart, not a goat<\/strong>.\u201d Such blunt rhetoric is notable in official North Korean discourse, which usually relies on ideological abstractions rather than direct personal criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yang, a former machinery industry minister<\/strong> elevated to vice premier overseeing the machinery sector, is also an alternate member of the Workers\u2019 Party\u2019s Political Bureau<\/strong>, according to South Korea\u2019s Yonhap News Agency<\/strong>. No successor has yet been announced, reinforcing the impression of an abrupt and punitive decision rather than a planned reshuffle.
(See: https:\/\/en.yna.co.kr<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Economic Underperformance and Industrial Delays<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kim\u2019s rebuke extended beyond one individual. During his visit to the Ryongsong Machine Complex, he blamed \u201cirresponsible, rude and incompetent economic guidance officials\u201d<\/strong> for delays in the modernisation project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ryongsong complex plays a strategic role in North Korea\u2019s industrial base, supporting machinery production essential to infrastructure, manufacturing, and potentially defence-related supply chains. Persistent delays there point to broader structural challenges in North Korea\u2019s economy, including outdated equipment, international sanctions, and limited access to advanced technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kim warned that current policymakers could \u201chardly guide the work of readjusting the country\u2019s industry as a whole and upgrading it technologically,\u201d<\/strong> underscoring frustration with stalled economic reform and implementation.
(See background: https:\/\/www.brookings.edu<\/a> | https:\/\/www.csis.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un attends the completion ceremony for the first phase of renovation and modernisation of the Ryongsong Machine Complex in South Hamgyong Province, North Korea, on Monday\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\tNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech at the completion ceremony of the Pyongyang General Hospital in Pyongyang, North Korea, in October 2025\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n\n

Political Timing: The Ninth Party Congress<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The dismissal comes as the Workers\u2019 Party of Korea<\/strong> prepares for its Ninth Party Congress<\/strong>, a major political event expected to outline new economic priorities, personnel alignments, and strategic goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Historically, party congresses serve as moments of consolidation for Kim\u2019s authority, allowing him to reward loyalists, remove underperformers, and reset policy narratives. Analysts view the public firing as a disciplinary warning<\/strong> aimed at senior cadres ahead of the congress, reinforcing expectations of obedience and results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Korean analysts quoted by Yonhap described the move as a discipline-tightening measure<\/strong>, designed to pre-empt dissent or complacency during a sensitive political period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Public Accountability as a Control Mechanism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Experts note that Kim Jong Un has increasingly used public accountability<\/strong>\u2014rather than quiet purges alone\u2014as a tool of governance. According to Yang Moo-jin<\/strong> of the University of North Korean Studies<\/strong>, Kim is employing such rebukes as a \u201cshock tactic\u201d<\/strong> to instil fear and compliance among party officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This approach mirrors earlier high-profile cases, most notably the 2013 purge and execution of Jang Song Thaek<\/strong>, Kim\u2019s uncle, accused of treason and factionalism. While today\u2019s political climate differs, the underlying message remains consistent: loyalty and performance are inseparable, and failure carries severe consequences.
(See: https:\/\/www.rand.org<\/a> | https:\/\/www.38north.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Security Concerns and Elite Instability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The firing also follows reports that North Korea recently replaced top military officials responsible for Kim\u2019s personal security<\/strong>, reportedly due to concerns over assassination threats. According to Yonhap, the leadership of three major security units\u2014the Party Guard Office<\/strong>, the State Affairs Commission Guard Department<\/strong>, and the Bodyguard Command<\/strong>\u2014were all changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though unconfirmed by Pyongyang, the reports suggest heightened anxiety within the regime, where internal loyalty is as critical as external deterrence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Together, the personnel shake-ups in both economic and security spheres point to elite instability<\/strong>, or at least to Kim\u2019s determination to reassert direct control at multiple levels of governance.
(See: https:\/\/www.reuters.com<\/a> | https:\/\/www.cfr.org<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strategic Implications<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Kim Jong Un\u2019s public dismissal of Vice Premier Yang Sung-ho underscores several key dynamics shaping North Korea today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n