North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has reportedly ordered the execution of 20 to 30 government officials for their alleged failure to prevent the devastating flooding and landslides that struck the country this past summer, resulting in the deaths of around 4,000 people. The South Korean media outlet TV Chosun reported that these officials were charged with corruption and negligence, leading to their execution late last month. The executions are said to have occurred in the flood-ravaged Chagang Province.

While these reports remain unverified, North Korea's state media had previously noted that Kim Jong-un had vowed to punish officials in response to the disastrous flooding in Chagang Province in July, which displaced over 15,000 people. During the crisis, Kim reportedly dismissed several high-ranking officials, including Kang Bong-hoon, the Provincial Party Committee Secretary for Chagang Province, during an emergency meeting.

The scale of the disaster prompted Kim to visit the affected areas, where he assessed the damage and interacted with residents. Although South Korean sources reported thousands of deaths, Kim rejected these figures, denying that such a high number of lives had been lost.

This isn't the first instance of Kim Jong-un allegedly ordering executions over perceived failures within his administration. In 2019, reports claimed that North Korea's nuclear envoy to the U.S., Kim Hyok Chol, was executed following the failure of a summit between Kim and then-U.S. President Donald Trump. However, it was later revealed that Chol was still alive and in state custody.

North Korea has a long history of public executions, which were reportedly conducted at an average rate of 10 per year before the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent reports suggest that the number of executions in North Korea surged last year, with estimates indicating that at least 100 executions took place, according to the Korea Times.