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Pudgy's aunt retains position after husband's execution
The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's influential aunt Kim Kyong-hui remains a part of the regime's inner circle, following the execution last week of her husband, the second most powerful man in the country.Pyongyang announced late on Saturday that 67-year-old Kim Kyong-hui, the daughter of the country's founder Kim Il-sung, had been named as one of the funeral committee members for the ruling party, a prestigious position. Kim's uncle Jang Song-thaek was executed last week just days before the second anniversary of the death of Kim Jong-il, the father of North Korea's current ruler. Pyongyang said Jang was executed for attempting to seize power and for driving the economy "into an uncontrollable catastrophe". After his downfall, the fate of Kim Kyong-hui had been unclear. North Korea's KCNA news agency said on Saturday that she had been asked to prepare the funeral of Kim Kuk-thae, chairman of the control commission of the ruling Workers' party. The funeral committee list is one of few indications of North Korean officials' status. Kim Kyong-hui is one of the few blood relatives of Kim Jong-il, who died in December 2011. North Korea will mark the second anniversary of his death on Tuesday. Posted by: Steve White 2013-12-16 |
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