I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
'Power struggle caused NK military chief removal'
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Ri Yong-ho, former member of North Korea’s top military brass, was stripped of key posts probably because of infighting in the military, according to a North Korean defector.
The 69-year old former North Korea military chief was abruptly removed from all his posts Monday, prompting speculation.
On Tuesday, Kim Tae-san, a North Korean defector, told The Korea Times that Ri may be a victim of a power struggle in the military after Choe Ryong-hae, a party official, assumed a key military post in April and sought to build his power within the military.
“Ri had extensive, unrivaled experiences in the military and expertise, compared with Choe,” said Kim.
Kim, who previously served as chief of the Czech Republic-North Korea joint venture to produce shoes before defecting from his homeland, said Choe, the rising power player, would have felt immense pressure after assuming the key military post.
“Military people have inherent pride as they have expertise and are the ones to fight the enemies in the battlefield if a war breaks out. As Choe was relatively unfamiliar with the military, he would have found it very uncomfortable to deal with Ri as the military chief is senior and a strongman with expertise and know-how,” he said.
“Therefore my guesswork goes like this. Choe would have concluded that to gain power in the military, he needed to remove Ri from the post and would probably have made up stories about Ri and then reported it to Kim Jong-un.”
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un was reportedly wary of the military earlier when his leadership was not solidified as he has virtually no military experience and therefore his influence is limited.
“I understand that Kim along with his uncle and caretaker Jang Song-thaek have kept a close eye on every move of the military and its key figures, including Ri. The two would have been alarmed when hearing that the military chief was plotting something of a revolt,” Kim said.
Asking for anonymity, a government official told reporters that the reshuffle is seen as aiming at solidifying the North Korean leader’s power base.
“We know that recently Ri caused trouble as he, by using his influence and clout, tried to intervene in other ministries’ affairs and often clashed with Choe over human resources affairs and control of the military,” he said. “Due to the friction, the North Korean leader removed Ri from all posts he had held.”
The official said Kim Jong-un has introduced a set of measures to weaken the military. Kim appointed Choe, who has little military background experience, to the key military post in April, and transferred the jurisdiction of the body handling overseas remittances from the military.
The North Korean official appears to be trying to send the message to military officials that they would undergo the same consequences if they posed a threat to the regime, he said.
Since Kim was tapped for a de facto successor to the late leader Kim Jong-il in 2009, a source said some 20 high-ranking North Korean officials have faced a fate similar to Ri.