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SENIOR NORTH KOREAN officials have publicly apologised for an “unimaginable” accident at an apartment construction site, state media said yesterday, a rare admission of culpability by the secretive hardline state.
South Korean officials said the incident involved the collapse of a 23-storey apartment building in Pyongyang’s Pyongchon district, which already had close to 100 families in residence.
It is extremely unusual for the North to report negative news of this type, and its official KCNA news agency also reported equally rare apologies from top officials.
Leader Kim Jong-Un “sat up all night, feeling painful” after being told about the accident, the agency said.
The accident happened last Tuesday and was the result of “irresponsible” supervision by officials in charge of construction, KCNA reported.
An intensive operation had been mounted to rescue survivors and treat the wounded, it said.
It did not give a figure for the number of dead or injured but said the accident left Pyongyang citizens “greatly shocked”.
The agency carried lengthy public apologies by senior officials including the Minister of People’s Security, Choe Pu-Il.
“(Choe) repented of himself, saying that he failed to find out factors that can put at risk the lives and properties of the people and to take thoroughgoing measures, thereby causing an unimaginable accident,” it said.
- ‘Considerable death toll’ -
A South Korean official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident involved the collapse of a 23-storey apartment complex.
“It is common in North Korea that people move into a new apartment building before construction officially ends,” the official told AFP.
The official said 92 families were believed to be living in the collapsed building, and the final death toll was likely to be “considerable”.
Among those making a public apology were Kim Su-Gil, chief secretary of the city committee of the ruling Workers’ Party.
He said Kim Jong-Un had “instructed leading officials of the party, state and the army to rush to the scene, putting aside all other affairs and command the rescue operation”.
The state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper also published a rare photo of an unidentified official bowing deeply in apology towards hundreds of people who gathered at what appeared to be a construction site.
‘Sincere leader’
The rare official apology appears to be aimed at portraying Kim as a “sincere leader who pays great attention to public sentiment”, said Kim Yong-Hyun, professor of North Korean studies at Seoul’s Dongguk University.
The North in 2009 announced plans to build 100,000 new high-rise apartments in three districts of its showpiece capital to mark the 100th anniversary in 2012 of the birth of its founder Kim Il-Sung, grandfather of the current leader.
The project went ahead despite chronic food shortages elsewhere in the impoverished nation.
North Korean officials stand among the families of victims of the accident.
In July 2011 a South Korean news outlet reported that students and soldiers had been drafted in to help complete the projects on time, after delays caused by shortages of funds and of building materials.
About 2.5 million people — mostly the ruling elite or those considered politically trustworthy — are believed to live in Pyongyang.
They enjoy priority access to electricity, food and other goods and services.
Kim — since taking power after the death of his father Kim Jong-Il in December 2011 — has launched a flurry of high-profile construction projects of his own.
He last year celebrated the opening of a new water park, an equestrian club and apartments for scientists, teachers and athletes in the capital, and a massive ski resort in the northeast.
Guidance
KCNA last December praised the “miraculous” pace of construction, saying many of the facilities were built within a year thanks to the guidance of the young leader.
Analysts say such projects, launched despite a chronic shortage of materials, were aimed at solidifying the image of the inexperienced ruler.
The secretive nation has rarely made public the details — especially death tolls — of major accidents.
But in one exceptional case, the North announced in April 2004 a massive train explosion in the northwestern county of Ryongchon had left 154 — including dozens of schoolchildren — dead and some 1,300 injured.
The accident — caused by damaged electric wires — devastated many nearby towns, prompting Pyongyang to make a rare plea for help from the international community.
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Kim Jong-un doesn’t care bout his own people..
It was probably indegestion from eating a Snickers that kept him awake and up all night…..
That, or wondering if Denis Rodman would be coming back soon. God bless his little cotton socks, he really does miss him.
He was feering ronery, just rike his dad.
Mad country, we think we have it bad here.
We’re not actually that far behind them.. If we vote against the Government wishes we are made vote again till we vote the way they want us to.. As it’s been proved by Joe Costello recently, if you question a politician in the street you can be threatened with arrest.. The state also has friends in the media so it more or less controls what you watch, listen and read.. Politicians don’t go to prison, no matter what they do, but me or you would be locked up for not paying the TV licence…
Very true Cosmo, RTE censorship at its finest last night during the political debate, when candidate Mark Fitzsimons was forcibly thrown off the premises for daring to ask tough questions of the established party politicians on the set. Disgusting.
Cosmo, how many of your family have been thrown into concentration camps? Are barber shops limited on the style of haircut they can offer? Is your internet limited, do you have a choice of media and a freedom to complain about it! We are nowhere close
You can’t have any news about a foreign country without somebody turning into a thing about Ireland. It’s just like whenever a U.S. celebrity used to go on Pat Kenny’s Late Late Show and he always felt obliged to ask them what they thought about Irish people. Cringe making.
Who cares if its not ireland its not really news now the latest GAA results are ….
Cosmo How dare you compare the suffering of people in North Korea with ours. We do not have camps where people are tortured for having an opinion on the leader, people are not eating grass only smoking it. We get the dole if we cant find work they starve. Grow up
Then he was sent to a labour camp and tortured grow up idiot yes I mean you joe
Up all night eating.
And doing he s hair!!
Up all night me h@le!! Some bluffer this fella is!
Sham country and sham leader,feel really sorry for whomever has to live under the last true dictatorship in our world today. The sooner the people rise up and rebel for themselves the better. I just wish the west would send in a covert sniper team and take square head out.
Not that simple. This country has nukes, and they have lived with such paranoia for decades that there is a very real fear that if they are ever attacked, either overtly or covertly, then many of the die hard supporters will press the buttons to launch.
While everyone knows the weeping and wailing is nonsense, failure to show such public displays will ensure a swift trip to the camps for that person and their extended family, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t those who actually do believe this crap.
Wondering if Dom Littlewood would go and do a investigation on rogue builders and pass on his findings to Kim ?
Don would have his work cut out for him if he looked into buildings here.
They will be executed no doubt very soon.
They’ll be eaten by the dogs.
Mickey mouse builders.
Yeah sure he was.
Somebody is getting shot in the morning.
I’ve a funny feeling someone gets shot every morning out there!
Someone’s doing to get shot
Just on the dictator note, I was driving through raheny yesterday and noticed Sean Haugheys election posters, Jesus is he not a dead ringer for Adolf Hitler, anyone else think so?
He reminds me of someone else who doesnt care about their country or the people……enda kenny!!!!!!
So funny
Well at least Priory Hall wasnt 23 storeys heigh !!!! Them North Koreans must have good ties with mc feely’s engineers !!! -_-
Can think of a few names here that was in that line of work if we could only export them over
I still put this man ahead of Obama….the better of the two evils…
Frank I believe you’ve just typed your most outlandish statement to date – and that takes some doing….
No…Kim Jong Un may have a big mouth but he dose not go about terrorising the planet with his proxy wars, drone killing, supporting head hacking jihad, spitting out lie after lie….
Godwin 2.0: Compare someone to Obama and you’ve lost the argument already.
And i forgot to mention Obama NSA spying on everyone….Obama has also the largest military force on the face of this planet at his disposal unlike Kim Jong Un..
Actually Frank the US military is not the largest based on a number of factors but as usual don’t let facts get in the way.
Obviously a man that starved millions of his own people, shoots people for not mourning his father, restricts access to information is a great man you should live there and post on the journal every day, oh wait you couldn’t post, you should definitely live there
Ah here.
Frank why dont you go and live there at least then we would have 1 less moron living in this country. Comparing obama to this murdering little shite who starves and tortures his subjects. Just please go away
He’ll be tired, so.
Minister for housing in North Korea is called “Ho Li Shitt” honestly!
You would have to be crazy to revolt in that country as they will send you and also future generations of your family to conentration camps as punishment.
Highly unlikely there would be any future generations of your family…
:-/
He slept like a baby
Probably up all night looking for his binoculars.
Any news from North Korea is worthy of Russia Today reporting standards
Aah god love em
A leader of a country apologising for a building crisis. Western leaders must be outraged!!
Just a misunderstood young man who was thrust in to a position of immense power and responsibility. “With great power comes great responsibility.”
Well he wasn’t up all night doing his hair…..
Poor Man, losing a few nights sleep while millions of his few countrymen and women starve and die from malnutrition. Poor fatman indeed
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