Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/PYONGYANG: North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has dismissed Pak Jong Chon, the second most powerful military official, state media reported.
Ri Yong Gil replaced Pak Chon as vice chairman of the central military commission of the ruling Workers’ Party led by Kim, at the annual gathering of the party’s central committee last week, the official KCNA news agency said on Sunday. No reason for the change was given.
North Korea regularly reorganizes its leadership and the annual party gathering has often been used to announce personnel reshuffles and major policy decisions.
Pak absent from photos recently released by North Korean state media
State television showed Pak seated in the front row of the podium during the meeting as other members raised hands to vote on personnel matters. His seat was later shown vacant.
He was also not seen in photos released on Monday by the state news agency of Kim’s New Year’s Day trip to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun which serves as the mausoleum of his grandfather and father, unlike when Pak was alongside Kim during a visit to the palace in October.
