Kim fires officials for extortion associated with hospital project
North Korea's leader has sacked officials creating a hospital once they pressed the public for contributions, media reported on Monday, the second rebuke from the high-profile project in a country where such problems are rarely publicized.
Leader Kim Jong Un ordered the Pyongyang General Hospital to come to be built by the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party found in October, calling it a good "priority" in increasing public health when confronted with the novel coronavirus.
But during his newest visit to the website, Kim fired several job managers, called the construction coordination commission, for failing woefully to allocate an effective budget and supplying equipment and materials from ordinary citizens.
"He severely rebuked them for burdening the persons by encouraging all sorts of 'assistance'," the KCNA state news agency reported, contacting the incident a "serious digression" from party policy. KCNA produced photographs of a serious-seeking Kim speaking at the website with officials wearing masks.
It had been his second rebuke for the managers this month. He earlier criticised them for causing delays with "inattention" and violating unspecified anti-epidemic rules. Kim praised builders on the project to make rapid progress despite "difficult situations" but advised the party to "investigate the performance of the construction coordination commission as a whole and replace all of the officials responsible", KCNA reported.
Yang Moo-jin, a good professor in the University of North Korean Studies found in Seoul, said the sackings suggested a good setback for a good prestigious task and hinted at broader difficulties facing the economy.
"This implies potential delays and additional obstacles in meeting the October deadline provided difficulties in mobilizing resources due to the pandemic and sanctions," Yang said. North Korea has not reported any conditions of the coronavirus but has considered intensive prevention measures, incorporating a ban on gatherings. an buy to wear masks and mandatory quarantines for border workers.
