N.K. said to execute official over currency

"北, 화폐개혁 책임 물어 박남기 총살



북한의 박남기 전 노동당 계획재정부장이 화폐개혁 실패의 책임자로 몰려 지난주 평양에서 총살된 것으로 전해졌다고 연합뉴스가 보도했다.



보도에 따르면 복수의 대북소식통은 18일 "북한 당국이 지난주 평양시 순안구역의 한 사격장에서 박 전 부장을 총살했다"며 "화폐개혁의 실패로 민심이 악화되고 김정은 후계체제에도 나쁜 영향을 미치자 모든 책임을 박 전 부장에게 씌워 반혁명분자로 처형했다"고 밝혔다.



이들 소식통은 또 "박 전 부장에게 `혁명대오에 잠입한 대지주의 아들로서 계획적으로 국가경제를 말아먹었다`는 죄목이 씌워졌다"면서 "1990년대 `고난의 행군` 때 처형된 서관희 전 노동당 농업담당 비서 사건과 닮은 꼴"이라고 말했다.



이들 소식통은 그러나 "북한의 엘리트들은 물론 일반 주민들도 박 전 부장에게 씌워진 죄목에 대해 거의 믿지 않고 있다"면서 "북한 지도부가 박남기를 희생양으로 삼았다고 보는 분위기"라고 전했다.





North Korea reportedly executed former finance official Pak Nam-gi, who was held responsible for the failed currency reform late last year amid growing public unrest over the faltering economy.

The former director of financial planning under the Workers` Party was executed by a firing squad in Pyongyang last week on charges of treason for "intentionally ruining the national economy," but most North Koreans believed he was made a scapegoat, Yonhap News said citing multiple sources.

South Korea`s Unification Ministry said it was unable to officially confirm the report. Seoul customarily refrains from confirming anything concerning the Pyongyang government unless the North makes an official announcement.

"The failure of the currency reform caused social unrest and had a negative impact on Kim Jong-il regime`s father-to-son succession, so Pyongyang blamed it all on Pak," an unnamed source was quoted as saying by Yonhap News.



"Pak`s case is reminiscent of Suh Gwan-hui, former Workers` Party secretary of agriculture, who was executed during the severe famine in the 1990s."

The North charged him of espionage and had him shot to death in front of tens of thousands of people in 1997 when the nation was suffering a murderous famine often referred to as the "arduous march."

The North reportedly described Pak as "a landlord`s son who snuck into the revolutionary ranks to intentionally wreck the economy."

Pak had served as Kim Jong-il`s key economic aide and accompanied Kim on "guidance trips" to the country`s production facilities until early January.

Pak was reportedly arrested and interrogated by authorities after receiving harsh criticism in a debate session of senior Workers` Party officials in mid-January.

Free North Korea Radio, a short-wave radio broadcaster run by defectors from the North also said yesterday that rumors of Pak`s execution were spreading from Pyongyang to other parts of the country.

A Japanese news report said last month that the North fired Pak in January, blaming him for the failed currency redenomination measure that resulted in inflation and a serious shortage of food.

With no public notice, the North knocked two zeros off the face value of its old currency on Nov. 30, exchanging 100-won bills for new 1-won notes. It placed a cap on the amount of money that could be converted per person, telling people to deposit the rest in state-run banks.

The measure, which was aimed at emasculating the growing merchant class and reasserting control over market activities, tightened the distribution of food and stirred anti-regime sentiment.

Some observers here say the alleged execution of Pak could be aimed at saving Kim Jong-il`s face by shifting the blame to the former director. (sophie@heraldm.com)











By Kim So-hyun