North Korean paper warns officials against corruption, bureaucracy

In this photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency, people wearing face masks lay flowers before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. Yonhap

North Korea's official newspaper on Wednesday warned officials against corruption and urged them to rally for public support amid deepening economic woes.

The Rodong Sinmun, an organ of the North's ruling Workers' Party, made the appeal calling on officials to wage a struggle to root out "poisonous weeds" in society, including bureaucracy and corruption.

"Winning the hearts of the people is equal to winning the world, and losing the hearts of the people is equal to losing the party itself," the paper said.

"Significant challenges and obstacles lay ahead of us. At a time when everything is insufficient and challenging, it is required of us to manage public sentiment at the right time," it added.

The paper also urged officials to commit themselves to listen to the needs and grievances of the public and to timely address their problems.

The article is seen as a warning to officials to tighten their discipline amid growing economic pressure from the fallout of global sanctions, the coronavirus pandemic and recent flood damage.

The North has often used corruption as a pretext for purging senior officials. The regime has also used the punishment of corrupt officials to rally internal support for the leader.

Earlier this year, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on party officials to dedicate themselves to improving people's living conditions, urging them to serve the people like "God." (Yonhap)