By Yi Whan-woo

A retired North Korean official in his 60s was arrested for criticizing the country's leader Kim Jong-un, according to sources familiar with the matter.

They recently told Radio Free Asia (RFA) that the official, who served as the deputy chairman of the People's Committee in the border town of Hyesan, Ryanggang Province, was arrested while attempting to flee the country.

"The retired official was arrested without warrant on Nov. 3 by the State Security Department on the charge of criticizing the Supreme Leader," a source said, adding the man retired in October 2017.

"He had been a very loyal administrative official for quite some time here in Ryanggang. He had a deep understanding of the lives of ordinary people and was very sympathetic to their difficulties."

The official criticized Kim over his recent visits to Samjiyon County in Ryanggang Province, where a state-sponsored construction project is under way. The project includes more than 400 new buildings.

It was considered "one of the country's largest and most highly promoted." But the official was disappointed with Kim for not focusing on the lives of the people, according to the source.

"When the Supreme Leader visited Samjiyon County three times this year to check on the progress of the project, and ordered the country to focus on projects like this, the retired official was disappointed," the source said.

The official shared his disappointment with a friend who works at the State Security Department.

The source detailed how the retiree was arrested after the friend's betrayal.

"His friend had a duty to report the ideological tendencies of former government officials to the department," the source said. "After hearing the initial criticism, the retiree's friend had drinks with him several times, then documented and reported his problematic comments."

The official tried to escape the country after learning the State Security Department was investigating him.

State Security Department officers in civilian clothes took him away quietly in the middle of the night, so most of his neighbors did not know he was arrested.

A different source said Ryanggang authorities, following the arrest, were ordered to report on the reactions of officials and citizens and that even powerful officials have been closely watched.

Meanwhile, the source sympathized with the arrested official, claiming Kim only underscored finishing the project without financial support before the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the ruling Workers' Party in 2020.

"There hasn't been any government funding for the project, nor are construction materials provided, so residents here have been complaining about the government's push [to get this done quickly]," the source said. "I don't know who else might become the department's next victim during the Samjiyon project's remaining years."