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North Korea shakeup sees Kim Jong-un's uncle fired Kim Jong-un's uncle fired in North Korea shake-up
(about 3 hours later)
North Korea has confirmed that it has dismissed Jang Song-thaek, the uncle of the country's leader Kim Jong-un, who was previously considered the second most powerful man in the secretive state, for committing "criminal acts". North Korea has acknowledged the purge of leader Kim Jong-un's influential uncle for alleged corruption, drug use, gambling and a long list of other "anti-state" acts, apparently ending the career of the country's second most powerful official.
"Jang and his followers committed criminal acts baffling imagination and they did tremendous harm to our party and revolution," the DPRK's KCNA news agency said in a report following a ruling Workers' party politburo meeting on Sunday. The young North Korean leader will now rule without the relative who was long considered his mentor as he consolidated power after the death of his father, Kim Jong-il, two years ago. Jang Song-thaek's fall from the leadership, detailed in a lengthy dispatch by state media, is the latest and most significant in a series of personnel reshuffles that Kim has conducted in an apparent effort to bolster his power.
The National Intelligence Service in South Korea reported on Tuesday that Jang had been removed from two powerful positions, and the following day South Korea's unification minister said Jang was alive and appeared to be safe. Jang who is married to Kim Jong-un's aunt, Kim Kyong-hui, the younger sister of Kim Jong-il, was described by state media as "abusing his power", being "engrossed in irregularities and corruption", taking drugs and squandering money at casinos while undergoing medical treatment in a foreign country.
"I understand that Jang Song-thaek is not in any physical danger," the unification minister, Ryoo Kihl-jae, told politicians gathered at an emergency meeting in Seoul. The dispatch also said he had "improper relations with several women and was wined and dined at back parlours of deluxe restaurants".
Jang was last seen in public in early November at a basketball match between North Korean and Japanese teams in Pyongyang. His wife, Kim Kyong-hui, also appeared to be safe, Ryoo added, but he declined to comment further. Jang has survived previous purges and official displeasure, thanks largely to his sometimes tempestuous marriage to Kim Kyong-hui, the daughter of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung. Referring to North Korea as a "popular democratic dictatorship", the dispatch said "Jang seriously obstructed the nation's economic affairs and the improvement of the standard of people's living".
Intelligence officials in the south said they believed that two close associates of Jang were executed for corruption last month. Analysts say Jang's removal would not have been possible without the approval of Kim Jong-un. The move is likely to increase the clout of Choe Ryong-hae, top political operative for the army, which could mean a symbolic victory for the 1.2 million-strong military. The decision to strip Jang of all posts and titles and expel him from the ruling Workers Party was made at a political bureau meeting of the party's central committee on Sunday. The dispatch indicated that the purge would extend to supporters of Jang, but did not provide details.
Opinion has been divided among analysts on what the purge may mean for the future of North Korea. Some analysts see it as a sign of Kim Jong-un's growing confidence, but there has also been fear in Seoul that the removal of such an important part of the North's government, seen by outsiders as the leading supporter of Chinese-style economic reforms, could create dangerous instability or lead to a major miscalculation or attack on the South.
"I believe it shows Kim Jong-un is firmly in control and confident enough to remove even the senior-most officials," said Bruce Klingner, an Asia specialist at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington.
But he said: "There is no reason to believe with this latest ouster that there will be a change in North Korean policy; that the Kim dynasty will suddenly turn around its bad behaviour."
South Korean intelligence officials said days ago that a purge was likely because two of Jang's aides had been executed last month for corruption. A recent state documentary in the North had all images of Jang removed.
Jang has held a string of senior jobs, including membership in the National Defence Commission, the government's top ruling body. He served as a leading economic policy official in charge of the push to draw foreign investment, travelling to China in 2012 to discuss the establishment of special economic zones. He has also assumed responsibility for North Korea's burgeoning sports industry, a pet project of Kim Jong-un's.
Jang has also reportedly been purged several times previously, only to return to power. But the formality and length of the current allegations against Jang suggest a more serious development.
Kim Jong-un has reportedly overseen other purges of senior officials, though none as high profile as this one.
One of the most notable personnel changes was the 2012 firing of military chief Ri Yong-ho, who was once also dubbed a mentor to Kim Jong-un. State media said he was dismissed in July 2012 due to an unspecified illness, but analysts speculated that Ri was purged because Kim wanted to reshape the government.
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