North Korean people are calling for a sweeping investigation into corruption across the country’s power organs. A senior military official’s dramatic public downfall sparked the demand. It happened at a July 2026 conference attended by leader Kim Jong Un.
Senior party, state and military officials gathered in Pyongyang on July 10. There, authorities publicly exposed extensive corruption by Pak Hui Chol. He is a former deputy director of the organization department of the Korean People’s Army’s General Political Bureau, the military body that oversees political and ideological discipline in the armed forces. Officials announced a verdict and sentence at the same gathering. Rodong Sinmun, the ruling Workers’ Party of Korea’s official newspaper, reported the case the following day.
A source in Ryanggang province spoke to Daily NK on July 20. The source described how people in Hyesan, near the border with China, have reacted to the case.
“The Pak Hui Chol case has been a huge talking point among people here recently,” the source said. “Many are saying that if someone was tried this openly at such an important state conference, the corruption must have been beyond imagination.”
According to the source, Hyesan residents have taken to calling the episode “the Pak Hui Chol case.” The source relayed a range of comments residents have made. Some say a man in such a senior position must have taken enormous bribes. Others say he already had everything to enjoy and simply went too far. Still others say that with no chance of a comeback now, he “lived short but lived big.”
The source said the case has also revived a bitter, meme-like debate that periodically resurfaces among North Korean people. Is it better to “live short and thick,” wielding power and privilege before an abrupt downfall? Or is it better to “live thin and long,” with no power or comfort but a longer life?
“People who struggle just to get through each day often say they would rather live richly for a while, even at great risk, than live a long life in poverty,” the source said. “That kind of question has circulated before, but the Pak Hui Chol case has brought it up again.”
The source added that a common reaction, that Pak Hui Chol “got to enjoy everything anyway,” reflects something deeper. It points to accumulated resentment toward officials who use their power to collect bribes and throw their weight around.
Widespread resentment toward power organs
Resentment toward officials who abuse their authority for personal gain runs deep, according to the source. Business permits, travel approval, and various inspections and crackdowns all carry a widespread expectation of bribery. People say they must pay officials to avoid penalties or resolve problems smoothly. That expectation fuels anger toward officials who profit from bribes while living comfortably.
“Even just here in Hyesan, plenty of officials take bribes to overlook various crackdowns,” the source said. “They siphon off state goods and products for personal profit. They abuse their authority over personnel matters, placing relatives and associates in key posts so their whole circle can live well. This isn’t something new.”
Amid this backdrop, North Koreans are saying the case should not end with the punishment of one individual. Instead, they say, it should become an opportunity to investigate corruption across power organs broadly, according to the source.
“Officials are supposed to uphold the law and discipline first, but the reality is the opposite, and that creates a strong sense of relative deprivation,” the source said. “Many people believe this is the moment for a full investigation into abuse of authority, bribery and illicit wealth accumulation among officials who hold power, with punishment for those found responsible.”
Skepticism that anything will change
Still, skepticism remains widespread, according to the source.
The source called this cycle the dorumegi phenomenon, a reference to a Korean idiom about backsliding to one’s original state once pressure eases. “Whenever a case like this comes up, officials keep a low profile for a while, then go back to their old corrupt ways once things quiet down,” the source said. “Officials will likely lie low for some time after this case. But the deeply entrenched practice of corruption is unlikely to disappear, and that could only deepen people’s disappointment.”
The source also pointed to a paradox. Stronger punishment for corruption does not eliminate bribery, the source said. It just raises the price, since bribes must now account for greater risk. “That’s why some residents are now joking sarcastically that bribe prices are about to go up again,” the source said.
Reporting from inside North Korea
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July 20, 2026 at 07:13PM
by DailyNK(North Korean Media)