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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un calls for the eradication of bureaucracy and corruption in an address to the first Conference of the Chairpersons of Primary Committees of Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in Pyongyang Dec. 23-25, 2016. Korea Times file

By Jung Da-min

North Korea has declared war on official corruption.

The Workers' Party of Korea's (WPK) newspaper Rodong Sinmun published two editorials on Wednesday and Thursday criticizing the bureaucracy and improper power yielding by corrupted officials. On Dec. 10 it ran a front-page editorial on the issue.

"One of the most important reasons for the collapse of socialism in the Eastern European countries of the past was that the officials had improperly exerted authority in bureaucracy and indulged in privileges," Rodong Sinmun said Thursday. The title of the editorial was "Our party's ideal workers with sincerity."

It continued: "Power yielding, bureaucracy and corruption are unacceptable enemies of our party that struggles to adhere to and maintain the status as a mother party in charge of the fate of the people."

The strong warning against corrupted officials came as the North Korean leadership has been promoting the "excellence" of the country's socialist economy.

It has argued that the country's economy has performed well despite international sanctions, calling for the people's unity to fight against them.