Tongue-lashings from North Korea Kim's underscore shift in focus to economy

SEOUL (Reuters) – North Korean leader Kim Jong's strident rebukes of officials on recent trips to industrial sites were aimed at rallying support at home for his economic drive and convincing outsiders about his willingness to denuclearize.

After racing toward his A nuclear missile capable of hitting the United States, Kim in April shifted his focus to the economy. In June, Kim held an unprecedented summit with President Donald Trump in Singapore, where he lauded the city-state's economic progress and "world-class" amenities.

This month, the young leader of the North Korea border with China, often lambasting officials or the lack of modernization of production lines, according to state media.

Kim has openly slammed executives on the previous economic field trips, unlike his reclusive father. The latest criticisms appear to attempt to spur economic development nationwide – and blame shift to bureaucrats where progress has lagged, say experts.

"Now that economic development is being done on a main line," said Koh Yu-hwan, a professor at Dongguk University in Seoul.

"To the people inside, he's trying to say it's not the fault of himself or that but the party executives, while encouraging ordinary citizens to work hard."

also want to dispel suspicion about denuclearization by highlighting his zeal for economic development.

Kim made a broad commitment to the Singapore summit to "work towards denuclearization," but fell short of the details of how it would dismantle the nuclear programs.

"While trying to win the people's heart, Kim would like to show that he's making an all-out effort on the economy and he really means it, and defuse suspicions about denuclearization," said Lee Woo-young, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

"SPEECHLESS"

This week, Kim blasted "shameless" and "pathetic" executives at a power plant site in the northeastern Hamkyong Province, "speechless" after realizing that only 70 percent of construction was completed 17 years ago, the official KCNA news agency reported.

Earlier this month, Kim is a senior manager of Siniiju's textile mill for manufacturing and manufacturing, and according to KCNA.

The rebukes appeared from Kim's efforts to mimic his popular, affable late grandfather, Kim Il Sung, said Michael Madden, a North Korea expert at Johns Hopkins University's 38 North website .

"That some senior officials are lackadaisical in their duties," said Madden said.

"This is similar to speeches and remarks that were made by Kim Il Sung who did the same thing."

BORDER FOCUS

Kim's recent tour to the northeast was a first full-fledged provincial, said Hong Min, a fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.

Kim has made 11 appearances at economic events and three military inspections so far this year, mostly near the capital of Pyongyang, according to a Reuters analysis of data by South Korea's Unification Ministry. Between January and July last year, Kim took 30 military trips and made 15 economic outings.

China, Hong said, said China's Hong Kong.

"Where he goes first matters, especially after a break, because it gives different messages depending on the region," said Hong.

Kim has traveled to China, and also feels a high-level delegation on China's 10-day tour of major economic hubs.

Shin Beom-chul, a senior fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, said Kim's goal may be to encourage Beijing to push back against US sanctions that have squeezed North Korea's economy.

"Rather than eyeing China as an economic model, hoping that China would loosen its enforcement of sanctions."