Kim sacks military top brass to ‘guard against coup’
NORTH KOREA has replaced its three most senior military officials with less hawkish appointees, leading analysts to speculate that Kim Jong-un is attempting to sideline hardline factions within the regime.
Those who are opposed to Kim’s shift away from the long-standing “military first” policy in favour of rebuilding the economy are thought to have been pushed aside.
There are also suggestions that the North Korean leader is acting out of concern that disgruntled military officers might attempt a coup when he travels to Singapore later this week for a summit with Donald Trump.
No Kwang-chol, formerly the first vice-minister of the People’s Armed Forces, was promoted to minister during a meeting of the central military commission on May 17 that was presided over by Kim. South Korean intelligence has been unable to ascertain the fate of Pak Yong-sik, his predecessor, The Korea Herald reported.
There are also reports that Ri Myongsu, chief of the general staff, has been replaced, although it is not clear who has taken over the role. Mr Ri was caught on television apparently falling asleep during a meeting of the central committee on May 20 and may well have been punished for it.
The most significant change is that Kim Su-gil, the former chairman of the Pyongyang city committee of the Workers’ Party, took over as director of the military’s General Political Bureau in May from Kim Jong-gak, who had only been in the post since January.
White House spokesman Sarah Sanders said preparations for the summit between Mr Trump and Kim were going well and the two were scheduled to meet at 9am local time next Tuesday.
Asked whether the “maximum pressure” campaign would continue, she said: “We have sanctions on. They are very powerful and we would not take those sanctions off unless North Korea denuclearised.”