North Korean leader Kim Jong-un recently chaired a meeting of the Korean Worker’s Party Secretariat to address disciplinary issues, including binge drinking among party officials. The meeting highlighted two key violations: inadequate preparations for a local party meeting in Onchon County, which was deemed “grossly formalistic,” and a “drinking spree” by 40 officials, described as a “rotten group” and “arrogant rabble” in state media.
Kim condemned their behavior as a “political and moral” crime, leading to the dissolution of the Onchon County party committee and plans to punish the officials, likely through ideological re-education. This aligns with North Korea’s history of using accusations of drunkenness to purge officials, as seen in the 1955 case of Pak Il-u.
While alcohol is culturally significant in North Korea, used in celebrations and even promoted on postage stamps, excessive drinking is viewed as a moral failing and a threat to socialist ideals. The country has recently intensified efforts to curb “ideological and cultural poisoning,” including harsh penalties for consuming foreign media, using foreign slang, or adopting foreign styles.
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The crackdown on drinking reflects broader efforts to suppress individualistic behavior that conflicts with the collective values of North Korea’s socialist society.
