“I have the information that ministers of agriculture and education were publicly executed on a special order from Kim Jong-un,” said the source.
“One of the executed is Hwang Min, a former agricultural minister,” according to the source. “I understand he was executed because policy proposals he had pushed for were seen as a direct challenge to the Kim Jong-un leadership."
The other man, Ri Yong-jin, was reportedly a ministerial-level official in education.
“He incurred the wrath of Kim after he dozed off during a meeting presided over by Kim. He was arrested on site and intensively questioned by the state security ministry. He was executed after other charges such as corruption were found during the probe.”
Yong-jin is at least the second person to be executed for falling asleep in the presence of Kim Jong-un.
In April of 2015, North Korea’s former defense chief Hyon Yong-chol was executed by firing squad for the offense of falling asleep during a meeting attended by the DPRK’s supreme leader.
The two latest executions may mark a “new reign of terror,” as there is talk of instability and a lack of unity among North Korean elites, according to Korea JoongAng Daily.
“If the report is true, it would mark the first execution ordered by Kim Jong-un from outside the Workers’ Party and military,” the South Korean source noted.
