You’re fired! Fresh from having his ex-girlfriend shot, Kim Jong Un gets rid of the head of his army
- North Korean leader yesterday reported to have had ex girlfriend executed
- Believed to be replacing officers appointed by his father, Kim Jong-Il, to strengthen his position
- Kim has a higher approval rating than Barack Obama according to a Seoul University study
|
With a stern face that never cracked into a smile unless he was looking at his ruthless young boss, North Korea's top army chief has been purged from office in another demonstration of Kim Jong-un's merciless rule.
Just 24 hours after it was reported that Kim had ordered the machine-gun execution of his former singer lover, Hyon Song-wol and 12 other entertainers, it was claimed today that hawkish army chief Kim Kyok-sik, 75, had been removed from his post, his future unknown.
North Korean watchers in the hated South Korea said the sacking appeared to be an attempt by Kim, whose age is estimated to be about 30, to bring unruly and ageing military leaders to heel.
General Kim Kyok Sik, right, stands with former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. Although close to Jong Un, he has been removed from his post
But his ruthlessness appears to be paying off in his own country - according to researchers at Seoul University, the dictator now has a higher approval rating then both U.S President Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
Seoul-based North Korean analyst Daniel Pinkston, said yesterday that Kim had learned that he had to manage his dictatorship carefully if he wanted to stay in power.
'He is replacing officers appointed by his father, Kim Jong-il, with younger men who he hopes will now shore up his political power base.'
Kim Kyok-sik does not go without leaving an impressive record of aggression behind - he is credited with masterminding the torpedo sinking of the South Korean Navy ship, Cheonan, and the shelling of the south's Yeonpyeong Island, both incidents occurring in 2010.
Analysts said there was little doubt that Kim had been removed after studying a report in a North Korean newspaper, the official Rodong Sinmun daily.
A source in the South Korean government said: 'We're closely watching development in the North, believing that Kim Kyok-sik has been replaced by Ri Yong-gil, the Army's General Staff chief of operations.'
Execution: Kim Jong-Un, pictured with his wife Ri Sol-ju (left), also had Hyon Song-wol and 12 other entertainers killed
The official said the North Korean paper had mentioned Ri Yong-gil behind senior regime figures Choe Ryong-hae and Jang Song-taek in a report about Kim watching a soccer match alongside selected soldiers.
It mentioned Ri before Jang Jong-nam, the minister of the People's Armed Forces, but significantly there was no mention at all of Kim Kyok-sik, who was always photographed at Kim's side.
In addition, Ri was seen with a four-star insignia rather than the three stars he displayed earlier, denoting his less senior post.
'Ri seems to have been promoted to chief of the Army's General Staff, because the chief of operations is never mentioned ahead of the Armed Forces minister,' said the source, quoted in Seoul's authoritative Chosn Ilbo newspaper, which revealed the alleged execution of Kim's former lover.
Popular: Kim Jong-un, seen applauding during the final of the Torch Cup soccer tournament in this undated photo released by North Korea's Korean Central News Agency, has higher approval ratings than U.S President Barack Obama
According to the paper, Kim Kyok-sik's dismissal might have been discussed at a meeting of the Workers Party's Central Military Commission - chaired by none other than Kim Jong-un - last weekend.
North Korean media reported that the meeting discussed 'organisational matters' and noted that the leader made an 'important decision.'
The leader's ruthlessness has become apparent once again, because he held Kim Kyok-sik in high esteem - yet still felt the need to remove him.
Analysts said it was possible that Kim Jong-un hopes the removal of the general might improve relations with South Korea and China - despite Beijing already being an ally.
In spite of his ruthlessness, Kim is still supported by the majority of his people, according to research by the Institute for Peace and Unification Studies at Seoul National University.
Although not strictly accurate as they polled 133 North Korean defectors, researchers found that 61.7 per cent of those asked thought that the dictator had the backing of the majority of his country.
According to the Telegraph, the result not only makes him more popular than his predecessor and late father, but also U.S President barack Obama who has a 41 per cent approval rating and UK Prime Minister David Cameron who is languishing on 38 per cent.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2406972/Youre-fired-Fresh-having-ex-girlfriend-shot-Kim-Jong-Un-gets-rid-head-army.html#ixzz2dVuOKdOC
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment