Storm Kim

North Korea weather agency faces month-long ideological review

Some employees could face personnel penalties or forced reassignment to hard labor

North Korea’s State Hydro-Meteorological Administration is undergoing a sweeping, party-ordered ideological review this month after a string of forecasting failures worsened storm and heat wave damage across the country in 2026. The ruling Workers’ Party of Korea has ordered agency staff and workers at related institutions to hold monthlong self-criticism sessions starting in mid-August.

A source told Daily NK on Thursday that the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea recently held the State Hydro-Meteorological Administration responsible for a series of forecasting failures. The committee ordered agency departments and cells to hold general assemblies for one month and to produce strongly worded self-criticism statements, according to the source.

A cynical chap might suggest that this is the way to deal with the Met Office and its fixation with climate change propaganda, but forced reassignment to hard labor, or even hard labour may be too much for them.

Some strongly worded self-criticism statements should be easy enough though, could happen one day before the sun goes out.