Yang Sung-ho

Yang Sung-ho is a North Korean vice-minister who was recently dismissed from his position by Kim Jong-un. The dismissal occurred during an inspection tour of a major industrial zone and was publicly announced. This action is newsworthy because it represents a rare public rebuke of officials in the secretive state, signaling Kim Jong-un's intolerance for delays and mismanagement, particularly in the lead-up to the upcoming Workers’ Party congress, a major political event. The firing is linked to troubles in a factory modernization project, with Kim Jong-un likening the official to ‘a goat yoked to an ox cart,’ indicating perceived incompetence. This event highlights the pressure on North Korean officials to deliver results and the potential for public shaming as a disciplinary tactic ahead of the important political conference.