Pyongyang, North Korea – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has publicly dismissed Vice Premier Yang Sung-ho, citing incompetence, and sharply criticized party officials for delays in economic projects, state media reported. The rare public rebuke comes as the Workers’ Party prepares for its Ninth Party Congress, expected to outline major national policy goals.

Kim fired Yang “on the spot” during the inauguration of the first phase of a modernization project at the Ryongsong Machine Complex in South Hamgyong Province. Yang, previously machinery industry minister, was promoted to vice premier in charge of the machinery sector and is also an alternate member of the party’s leadership council. His replacement has not yet been announced.

“It was like hitching a cart to a goat—an accidental mistake in our cadre appointment process. After all, it is an ox that pulls a cart, not a goat,” Kim was quoted by KCNA.

During the visit, Kim also condemned officials responsible for project delays, saying their “irresponsible, rude, and incompetent” guidance had hindered modernization efforts. He warned that current economic policymakers could “hardly guide the work of readjusting the country’s industry as a whole and upgrading it technologically.”

Experts say the public firing appears to be a disciplinary tactic to tighten control over party officials ahead of the Congress. Yang Moo-jin of the University of North Korean Studies noted that Kim is using public accountability as a shock tactic to warn other officials.

The move mirrors past high-profile purges, such as the 2013 execution of Kim’s uncle Jang Song Thaek, who was accused of plotting to overthrow the leader. In recent weeks, North Korea also reportedly replaced top military officials responsible for Kim’s security amid “assassination concerns.”

Analysts say these measures underscore Kim’s centralization of power and serve as a signal to officials that failure or passivity will not be tolerated, especially as the regime prepares for its next major political gathering.