DPRK leader accuses senior officials of neglecting duties in anti-epidemic efforts

PYONGYANG - Kim Jong-un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), criticized some officials on Tuesday for neglecting their duties which had caused a "crucial case" in concerns of nationwide anti-epidemic efforts, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday.

At an enlarged meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim, general secretary of the party, said some senior officials in charge of important state affairs "neglected the implementation of the important decisions of the party on taking organizational, institutional, material, scientific and technological measures ... associated with the worldwide health crisis, and thus caused a crucial case of creating a great crisis in ensuring the security of the state and safety of the people and entailed grave consequences."

"He analyzed in the strong terms that a major factor braking and hindering the implementation of the important tasks discussed and decided at the party congress and plenary meetings of the party is the lack of ability and irresponsibility of cadres," the KCNA added.

Kim also called for "a more fierce partywide campaign" against "ideological faults and all sorts of negative elements" being exposed among them.

At Tuesday's meeting, "an organizational issue" was also discussed, including the election of new politburo members and a secretary of the party's Central Committee, the report said.