North Korean leader Kim Jong Un removed Vice Premier Yang Sung Ho from his position during the opening of a major factory, according to state media on Tuesday. He openly criticised senior officials and called them “incompetent” in a rare public attack on the country’s leadership.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that Yang was dismissed “on the spot”. Kim accused senior officials of being “irresponsible, rude and incompetent leading officials”.

“Please, Comrade Vice Premier, resign by yourself when you can do it on your own before it is too late,” Kim reportedly said.

Rare public dismissal draws attention

North Korea has long struggled with a weak state-run economy and serious food shortages. The country also faces heavy international sanctions because of its nuclear weapons programme.

Kim often scolds officials for poor economic management. However, such a public removal of a senior leader is extremely uncommon.

While attending the opening of an industrial machinery complex on Monday, Kim criticised officials who had “too long been accustomed to defeatism, irresponsibility and passiveness”.

He said Yang was “unfit to be entrusted with heavy duties”.

Sharp criticism of cadre appointments

Kim admitted that Yang’s appointment itself was a mistake. He used a sharp comparison to explain his point.

“Put simply, it was like hitching a cart to a goat – an accidental mistake in our cadre appointment process,” he said.

“After all, it is an ox that pulls a cart, not a goat.”

Kim stressed the need to end the country’s economic backwardness. He called for urgent reforms to modernise the economy and secure the nation’s future.

He urged officials to overcome the “centuries-old backwardness of the economy and build a modernized and advanced one capable of firmly guaranteeing the future of our state”.

Images show stern message to workers

Photos released by North Korean media showed a serious-looking Kim delivering his speech in Hamgyong Province, in the cold northeastern part of the country. Workers stood in attendance wearing green uniforms and matching grey hats.

Economy takes a back seat to military

North Korea has long prioritised its military and nuclear programmes over civilian needs. As a result, the country remains vulnerable to floods and droughts. Poor infrastructure, deforestation, and decades of mismanagement have worsened these problems.

The newly opened machinery complex is part of a large manufacturing belt stretching from the northeast to the coastal city of Wonsan. It accounts for “about 16 percent of North Korea’s total machinery output”, according to Yang Moo-jin from the University of North Korean Studies.

Warning ahead of key party congress

Experts say Kim’s move sends a strong warning to party officials. Yang Moo-jin compared the incident to past purges, including the execution of Kim’s uncle Jang Song Thaek in 2013.

He said Kim is “using public accountability as a shock tactic to warn party officials”.

North Korea is preparing for its first ruling party congress in five years. Analysts expect it to take place in the coming weeks. Economic policy, defence, and military planning are likely to dominate discussions.

Last month, Kim promised to eliminate “evil” during a high-level meeting of party leaders. While state media did not give details, it said the ruling party had uncovered many recent “deviations” in discipline, a phrase often used to describe corruption.