North Korean officials recently reassigned from organizations supplying the ruling party’s Central Committee have resisted the changes, leading to scuffles and an ongoing investigation, according to sources inside the country.
The personnel reshuffles occurred on Sept. 18 at the Pyongyang Farm, which provides meat and eggs to Central Committee officials. The farm operates under the committee’s Finance and Accounting Department.
“Orders called for replacing all mid-level officials in charge of state security, finance, accounting, animal husbandry and agriculture,” a source told Daily NK recently. “This provoked resistance and even physical confrontation.”
Authorities claimed the changes aimed to improve organizational efficiency and replace older officials. However, some newly appointed officials were older than their predecessors, sparking accusations of nepotism.
On Sept. 21, during an induction ceremony, one official began shouting and gesturing angrily. Others joined in, escalating the argument into a brawl that paralyzed the farm’s operations for the day.
“Positions at the farm are highly privileged,” the source explained. “Anyone who gets one would be reluctant to give it up.”
Stunned by the unprecedented conflict, the Central Committee ordered the Central Prosecutor’s Office to investigate and prosecute those involved. On Sept. 22, all reassigned officials were arrested, while newly appointed officials faced no consequences.
The detained officials will likely be sent to less desirable jobs in the provinces. “They’ll probably be transferred to a fertilizer production center in North Pyongan province,” the source said. “For many, this is tantamount to exile.”
The Daily NK works with a network of sources in North Korea, China, and elsewhere. For security reasons, their identities remain anonymous.
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October 03, 2024 at 06:30AM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)