By Yi Whan-woo
Choe Ryong-hae, one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's key confidants, may have been purged, sources said Thursday.
"Choe, Pyongyang's sixth-in-command, may have been relieved of his post as secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and may be performing hard labor at a collective farm," a source said.
Tokyo's Asahi Shinbum also reported Thursday that Choe may have been sentenced to hard labor for poorly managing the construction of a newly-built hydroelectric power station in Ryanggang Province.
Choe was in charge of the plant that opened on Oct. 3 to resolve the lack of electricity in the impoverished regime. A massive crack in a dam at the plant complex was found, while waterways nearby collapsed, embarrassing the Kim Jong-un regime.
Under Kim's reign, speculation has been rampant over Choe's fate since Nov. 7 when a comrade of the late Kim Il-sung, North Korea's founder and Kim Jong-un's grandfather, died.
Choe was not on the list of executive officials, including Kim Jong-un and his top aides, who attended the state funeral of Ri Ul-sol, 94.
Ri was a former politician and military general who fought as a guerilla with Kim Il-sung against the Japanese Army during the 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
"The authoritarian regime widely publicized Kim Jong-un's leadership when the plant opened on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Workers' Party on Oct. 10. It was obvious for the country to find someone to take the blame and it turned out to be Choe," said Park Young-ho, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies, speculated that Kim Jong-un may have been displeased with Choe regarding talks with China over a possible summit.
Pyongyang has sought to hold a summit with Beijing as part of efforts to mend strained political ties and also escape international isolation.
Choe visited Beijing and met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 3 during China's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
However, the analysts said that Choe will make a political comeback.
"He was sentenced to hard labor twice in the past and then returned to his job," an official said on condition of anonymity.
Park underscored that Choe is the second-generation of guerillas, including his father Choe Hyun.
"It would not be appropriate to compare Choe with Jang Song-thaek, Hyun Yong-chol and those who were persecuted under Kim Jong-un's reign," he said. "North Korea still respects the family members of the guerillas."
Jang was an uncle of Kim Jong-un. Hyun served as an Army general. Both of them were not family members of former guerillas.
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| Choe Ryong-hae |
"Choe, Pyongyang's sixth-in-command, may have been relieved of his post as secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party and may be performing hard labor at a collective farm," a source said.
Tokyo's Asahi Shinbum also reported Thursday that Choe may have been sentenced to hard labor for poorly managing the construction of a newly-built hydroelectric power station in Ryanggang Province.
Choe was in charge of the plant that opened on Oct. 3 to resolve the lack of electricity in the impoverished regime. A massive crack in a dam at the plant complex was found, while waterways nearby collapsed, embarrassing the Kim Jong-un regime.
Under Kim's reign, speculation has been rampant over Choe's fate since Nov. 7 when a comrade of the late Kim Il-sung, North Korea's founder and Kim Jong-un's grandfather, died.
Choe was not on the list of executive officials, including Kim Jong-un and his top aides, who attended the state funeral of Ri Ul-sol, 94.
Ri was a former politician and military general who fought as a guerilla with Kim Il-sung against the Japanese Army during the 1910-45 colonization of the Korean Peninsula.
"The authoritarian regime widely publicized Kim Jong-un's leadership when the plant opened on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Workers' Party on Oct. 10. It was obvious for the country to find someone to take the blame and it turned out to be Choe," said Park Young-ho, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
An Chan-il, head of the World Institute for North Korea Studies, speculated that Kim Jong-un may have been displeased with Choe regarding talks with China over a possible summit.
Pyongyang has sought to hold a summit with Beijing as part of efforts to mend strained political ties and also escape international isolation.
Choe visited Beijing and met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 3 during China's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
However, the analysts said that Choe will make a political comeback.
"He was sentenced to hard labor twice in the past and then returned to his job," an official said on condition of anonymity.
Park underscored that Choe is the second-generation of guerillas, including his father Choe Hyun.
"It would not be appropriate to compare Choe with Jang Song-thaek, Hyun Yong-chol and those who were persecuted under Kim Jong-un's reign," he said. "North Korea still respects the family members of the guerillas."
Jang was an uncle of Kim Jong-un. Hyun served as an Army general. Both of them were not family members of former guerillas.
