Sariwon corruption cases at fuel depot and commercial management office concluded in December without legal punishment as prosecutors examined “fundamental causes and contexts” rather than focusing solely on punishment following Kim’s people-first policy directive.
“People are pleased to see noticeable changes in judicial practices and law enforcement in line with orders given by Kim Jong Un following his visit to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office on their founding anniversary,” a source in North Hwanghae province told Daily NK recently.
Prior to Kim’s orders, the source said, judges and prosecutors in North Hwanghae province had focused on punishment in their handling of all cases. But since then, there has been a distinct shift toward prioritizing objective evidence and examining fundamental causes and contexts.
For instance, there were signs that the authorities would harshly prosecute cases of corruption at a fuel depot and a commercial management office in Sariwon that had been on the docket since October. But after Kim’s orders, the cases were concluded in early December without anybody facing legal punishment.
Fuel depot with “rampant corruption” avoids prosecution after full examination
The Sariwon fuel depot was being reviewed by the prosecutors following repeated reports about a disparity between the depot’s books and the actual fuel distribution records over the past few years. Since not only the depot administrators and party representatives but regular staff and warehouse workers were implicated, it was thought the case would be handled severely.
“The fuel depot is infamous for its rampant corruption. It’s constantly being monitored, and its managers are frequently replaced. The municipal prosecutors had brought in everybody suspected of corruption for multiple rounds of questioning and had declared that legal consequences were inevitable. But after hearing the full story, the prosecutors concluded it wasn’t a big deal after all and quietly closed the case,” the source said.
The Sariwon public prosecutors’ office also carried out a rigorous inspection of the city’s commercial management office following repeated allegations of incomplete bookkeeping. But that case was also wrapped up without anybody facing legal consequences.
“Given the serious implications of those two cases, it was widely predicted that officials would be dismissed or even prosecuted. But in keeping with Kim’s instructions, the public prosecutors examined the basic factors and internal causes behind the cases. That’s why they didn’t turn into show trials,” the source said.
Some in North Korea attribute the lenient handling of these cases to Kim’s orders to reform the socialist legal system in accordance with his people-first policy, reflecting the gradual rise of civic consciousness in the country.
“Organizations and enterprises that had been disheartened by the prosecutors’ constant inspections are taking some comfort from how these two cases were handled, and ordinary people are also evidently pleased to see a striking change in law enforcement practices,” the source said.
December 22, 2025 at 07:07PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)