North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (top, C) at the Ryongsong Machine Complex in South Hamgyong Province, North Korea on January 19, 2026. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has fired his vice premier and railed against "incompetent" officials in a rare and very public broadside against apparatchiks at the opening of a critical factory, state media said Tuesday. "Put simply, it was like hitching a cart to a goat – an accidental mistake in our cadre appointment process," the North Korean leader explained. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un blamed the factory opening delay on "irresponsible, rude and incompetent economic guidance officials", KCNA reported. The North Korean leader is "using public accountability as a shock tactic to warn party officials", he said.

Source: The North Africa Journal January 20, 2026 03:29 UTC