North Korea ”executes” army chief of staff

North Korea has executed its army chief of staff Ri Yong-gil, according to unconfirmed South Korean media reports. Senior officials in North Korea have previously been absent from view for long periods only to reappear. However, Gen Ri would be the latest of several high-ranking officials to be purged under leader Kim Jong-un. South Korean […]

North Korea has executed its army chief of staff Ri Yong-gil, according to unconfirmed South Korean media reports.
Senior officials in North Korea have previously been absent from view for long periods only to reappear.
However, Gen Ri would be the latest of several high-ranking officials to be purged under leader Kim Jong-un.
South Korean media reported that Gen Ri had been executed earlier this month for corruption and “factional conspiracy”.
The reports of Gen Ri’s execution come days after the North launched a long-range rocket, which critics say is a test of banned missile technology.
The North rarely issues public announcement related to purges or executions of high-level officials. A rare official confirmation of a high-profile execution came after Jang Song Thaek, leader Kim Jong Un’s uncle and the man who was once considered the second most powerful figure in the country, was executed for corruption in 2013.
In May last year, the North executed its defense chief by anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, the South’s spy agency said in a report to members of parliament.