By Jun Ji-hye
The alleged dismissal of Choe Ryong-hae, one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's key confidants, has once again provided evidence of the young dictator's continued reign of terror, analysts said Friday.
They said that Choe, once cited as Pyongyang's no. 2 man following the 2013 purge of former no. 2 man Jang Song-thaek, seems to have been relieved of his post as secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party and now be performing hard labor on a collective farm.
Just two months ago, Kim dispatched Choe to Beijing where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during China's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Observers say Kim showed once again that he is a barbaric dictator by promptly removing Choe -- although the leader did not go to extremes by sparing his life this time. The reason for the punishment against Choe is unknown.
They noted that punishments against high-ranking officials in the North include execution, hard labor at a collective farm and writing a paper of self-criticism at home.
"Kim is probably seeking to establish discipline in the regime by punishing an iconic figure. That is a process of keeping tension high in the regime," said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University.
Since taking power in December 2012, the young leader has executed some 70 officials, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea.
Ri Yong-ho, former general chief of staff, and Jang Song-thaek, Kim's uncle and mentor, were executed in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
In April, Hyon Yong-chol, the chief of the People's Armed Forces, was killed by anti-aircraft gunfire for dozing off during a military meeting presided over by Kim, according to the NIS. In May, Vice Premier Choe Yong-gon was reported to have been executed for expressing discomfort with Kim's forestation policy.
Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the think tank Sejong Institute, said that the punishment against Choe could cause anxiety in the state.
"Spread of emotional turmoil, anxiety and skepticism toward Kim's leadership would be unavoidable," he said.
Some analysts said Kim may have signaled a shift in generations in the North's power structure by removing Choe.
But expectation still abounds that Choe may return to power once again, considering that the young leader has frequently switched ranks of high-ranking officials in an apparent effort to induce them to compete and show more loyalty.
For the past four years since he took power, Kim appointed a total of six figures as chief of the People's Armed Forces. This was in stark contrast to his father, Kim Jong-il, who only had four chiefs of the People's Armed Forces throughout his 17-year reign.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
The alleged dismissal of Choe Ryong-hae, one of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's key confidants, has once again provided evidence of the young dictator's continued reign of terror, analysts said Friday.
They said that Choe, once cited as Pyongyang's no. 2 man following the 2013 purge of former no. 2 man Jang Song-thaek, seems to have been relieved of his post as secretary of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party and now be performing hard labor on a collective farm.
Just two months ago, Kim dispatched Choe to Beijing where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping during China's celebrations of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Observers say Kim showed once again that he is a barbaric dictator by promptly removing Choe -- although the leader did not go to extremes by sparing his life this time. The reason for the punishment against Choe is unknown.
They noted that punishments against high-ranking officials in the North include execution, hard labor at a collective farm and writing a paper of self-criticism at home.
"Kim is probably seeking to establish discipline in the regime by punishing an iconic figure. That is a process of keeping tension high in the regime," said Kim Yong-hyun, a professor of North Korean Studies at Dongguk University.
Since taking power in December 2012, the young leader has executed some 70 officials, according to the National Intelligence Service (NIS) of South Korea.
Ri Yong-ho, former general chief of staff, and Jang Song-thaek, Kim's uncle and mentor, were executed in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
In April, Hyon Yong-chol, the chief of the People's Armed Forces, was killed by anti-aircraft gunfire for dozing off during a military meeting presided over by Kim, according to the NIS. In May, Vice Premier Choe Yong-gon was reported to have been executed for expressing discomfort with Kim's forestation policy.
Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the think tank Sejong Institute, said that the punishment against Choe could cause anxiety in the state.
"Spread of emotional turmoil, anxiety and skepticism toward Kim's leadership would be unavoidable," he said.
Some analysts said Kim may have signaled a shift in generations in the North's power structure by removing Choe.
But expectation still abounds that Choe may return to power once again, considering that the young leader has frequently switched ranks of high-ranking officials in an apparent effort to induce them to compete and show more loyalty.
For the past four years since he took power, Kim appointed a total of six figures as chief of the People's Armed Forces. This was in stark contrast to his father, Kim Jong-il, who only had four chiefs of the People's Armed Forces throughout his 17-year reign.
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
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