Since last summer, a feature of North Korean state media coverage of some of Kim Jong Un’s site inspections across the country has been furious and direct criticism of officials at factories and other sites.

During these trips, Kim is often shown in official pictures with glum expressions, and is quoted as highlighting the failures of officials to self-motivate or carry out previous remodeling plans, sometimes directly criticizing their “lax” attitudes or their “disregard” for central party directives.

And while Kim Jong Un’s instructions during on-site inspections have frequently generated quick and dramatic