A North Korean official under investigation for embezzling state property killed a subordinate earlier this month after panicking that the employee’s testimony would expose his wrongdoing to internal inspectors, Daily NK has learned.
A source in South Pyongan province told Daily NK on Monday that the “shocking” killing took place in mid-August at the printing plant of the South Pyongan Ilbo, the newspaper published by the provincial branch of the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK). The official was under internal review for embezzling state property and reportedly feared his misconduct was about to be fully exposed.
The case surfaced after higher authorities detected signs that the official had been embezzling printing paper and other materials belonging to the state, prompting a formal investigation.
According to the source, the official got into an argument with a subordinate who had gathered decisive evidence and testimony proving his wrongdoing while the inspection was underway. The subordinate had reportedly watched the official’s misconduct unfold over time and grew increasingly anxious as the probe deepened, worried he could be implicated as an accomplice, and punished alongside his superior, simply for having worked under him, despite never taking part in any wrongdoing himself.
Argument turns deadly
During the argument, the subordinate methodically laid out the misdeeds he had witnessed. Gripped by extreme fear that full exposure to inspectors would bring severe punishment, the official impulsively killed him.
The official had reportedly been secretly siphoning off state-owned paper and materials from the factory for personal gain for some time. As the investigation closed in and the pressure mounted, he committed an even graver crime on impulse.
When the commotion broke out, factory staff and public safety officers, North Korea’s police force under the Ministry of Social Security, who were elsewhere on site rushed to the scene. The victim was rushed to a hospital but had already died.
Residents of the village near the factory who learned of the case sharply criticized the official, reportedly saying he “stole state property to satisfy his own greed, let his family put on airs, and in the end even took the life of an innocent person.”
The source said harsh, sweeping punishment is expected not only for the official but also for others linked to the embezzlement of state property. The case is also likely to trigger a hard-line special inspection by the party of the entire publishing and printing sector across South Pyongan province.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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August 31, 2026 at 10:45PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)