N. Korea's Kim fires officials for extortion

North Korea’s leader has sacked officials building a hospital after they pressed the public for contributions, media reported on Monday, the second rebuke linked to the high-profile project in a country where such problems are rarely publicized.

Lauren Anthony reports

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has sacked officials building a hospital for extortion.

They had pressed the public for contributions, media reported on Monday (July 20).

It's the second time he has publicly reprimanded those managing the high-profile project.

Kim had ordered the Pyongyang General Hospital to be built by the 75th anniversary of the founding of the ruling Workers' Party in October, calling it a "top priority" in improving public health.

But in his latest visit to the site, he sacked a group of project managers, called the construction coordination commission, for failing to allocate a proper budget for the project -- and supplying equipment and materials from ordinary citizens.

State news agency KCNA said Kim "severely rebuked them for burdening the people", and called the incident a "serious digression" from party policy.

Kim had earlier criticized the managers for causing delays with "inattention" and violating unspecified anti-epidemic rules.

KCNA said Kim plans to replace the officials responsible.

Problems like this are rarely publicized in North Korea.