North Korea executed its army chief of staff, Ri Yong Gil, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday, which, if true, would be the latest in a series of executions, purges, and disappearances under the country’s young leader.<\/p>\n
The news comes amid heightened tension surrounding the isolated North Korea after its Sunday launch of a long-range rocket, about a month after it drew international condemnation for conducting its fourth nuclear test.<\/p>\n
A source familiar with North Korean affairs also told Reuters that Ri had been executed. The source declined to be identified, given the sensitivity of the matter.<\/p>\n
Ri, who was chief of the Korean People’s Army General Staff, was executed this month for corruption and factional conspiracy, Yonhap and other South Korean media reported.<\/p>\n
Yonhap did not identify its sources. The source who told Reuters the news declined to comment on how the information about the execution had been obtained.<\/p>\n
South Korea’s National Intelligence Service declined to comment, and it was not possible to independently verify the report.<\/p>\n
The North rarely issues public announcement related to purges or executions of high-level officials.<\/p>\n
A rare official confirmation of a high-profile execution came after Jang Song Thaek, leader Kim Jong Un’s uncle and the man who was once considered the second-most-powerful figure in the country, was executed for corruption in 2013.<\/p>\n
In May last year, the North executed its defense chief by antiaircraft gun at a firing range, the South’s spy agency said in a report to members of parliament.<\/p>\n
The North’s military leadership has been in a state of perpetual reshuffle since Kim took power after the death of his father in 2011. He has changed his armed forces chief several times since then.<\/p>\n
Some other high-ranking officials in the North have been absent from public view for extended periods, fueling speculation they may have been purged or removed, only to resurface.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: Reuters<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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