The "Daily Mail" reported that North Korea executed one of its officials due to delays in completing a hospital construction project and his reliance on low-quality Chinese sources instead of European ones for its outfitting. The British newspaper stated that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un personally laid the foundation stone for the Pyongyang General Hospital in March 2020, demanding its completion within a short period of no more than six months.
According to the newspaper, the deadline for delivering the project came and went without a significant opening event, amid claims that the building was empty and lacked basic medical equipment. Due to the delays in preparing the hospital, the official proposed an alternative solution that "contradicted" the aspirations of leader Kim Jong Un. The report cited the "Daily NK" agency, which focuses on North Korean affairs, noting that Kim wanted to import medical equipment from Europe for the new hospital.
The ill-fated official’s alternative plan involved resorting to Chinese equipment instead of the European supplies, which was contrary to Kim’s expectations. The newspaper highlighted that the official was blamed immediately after Kim uncovered the reality of what had occurred. The official, who was 50 years old, worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was responsible for import and export operations.
