Seoul: North Korea media confirms purging of defense chief

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea says North Korea has officially confirmed the purging of its defense chief two months after Seoul's spy service said he had been executed for disloyalty to leader Kim Jong Un.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in May that People's Armed Forces Minister Hyon Yong Chol was killed by anti-aircraft gunfire for talking back to Kim, complaining about his policies and sleeping during a meeting.

The North's state media has since not mentioned Hyon or his disappearance. But over the weekend, the country's official Korean Central News Agency named army general Pak Yong Sik as the armed forces minister in a dispatch about a meeting with a Lao military delegation.

South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-Hee said Monday that this confirms Hyon's replacement and purging.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-13

the urge to purge is strong with the Kim family, keep up the tradition

Purging? Good word for take out the back door and shot

I was thinking how could you purge someone whos already been on the business end of an Ant-Aircraft piece? I get it now - delayed news...

Thought the North Koreans had brought out some sort of horrendous way of dealing with disenters, as a Brit our own forebares had some pretty intresting ways of a-hem, 'Purging' naughty people, the Tower of London and the Kings men dished out some special extras for certain guests of his/her majesty's pleasure...