Published 8 months ago • loading... • Updated 8 months ago

North Korea's Kim Jong Un Publicly Fires Vice Premier

On Jan. 19, 2026, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly dismissed Vice Premier Yang Sung Ho at the Ryongsong Machine Complex inauguration, a rare on-site sacking reported by state media.
Kim blamed the project failures on 'unnecessary man-made confusion' and said authorities wasted large amounts of funds and labor, prompting a group of experts to review around 60 problems.
Yang, who previously led the machinery ministry, is a vice premier and Politburo alternate member overseeing the Ryongsong Machine Complex, promoted under the Workers' Party of Korea's 2021 machine-building plan.
The sacking signals efforts to tighten discipline ahead of the Workers' Party congress as Kim Jong Un aims to curb defeatism among economic officials and set new modernization goals.
Viewed against the 3.7, North Korea's economy faces challenges despite recent growth, as Kim Jong Un pushes reforms ahead of the upcoming Workers' Party congress.

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