Kim Jong Un’s Purge Reveals the High Cost of Failed Economic Leadership in North Korea

In a stark display of authoritarian control, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly dismissed Vice Premier Yang Sung Ho, responsible for the nation’s machine-building industry. The move, announced by state media, signals more than just internal discipline; it exposes deep-rooted mismanagement draining the country’s fragile economy at a critical moment. Is North Korea Paying the Price for Reckless Economic Policies? Kim accused Yang of causing “unnecessary man-made confusion” during the modernization of the Ryongsong Machine Complex, blaming him for significant economic losses and wasted resources. Such public rebukes are not new from Kim—he routinely scapegoats officials to mask broader...