Submit your comments on this article | |
China-Japan-Koreas | |
N. Korea's Defense Chief Replaced with Hawkish General | |
2012-11-30 | |
[An Nahar] North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has replaced his defense chief with a hawkish general in a shakeup apparently aimed at tightening his grip over the military, a report said Thursday.
He was replaced by Kim Kyok-Sik, a hawkish general believed to have orchestrated the North's sinking of a South Korean warship and an artillery attack on a border island in 2010, it said. Analysts said the re-shuffle, if confirmed, was the latest in a series of top-level personnel changes ordered by Kim Jong-Un since taking over after the death of his father, Kim Dear LeaderJong-Il ... hereditary dictator of North Korea. His definition of reunificationisn't the same as the definition in Seoul... , a year ago. "Kim has tightened his grip over the military by replacing top military generals with those loyal to him," Yang Moo-Jin, a professor of the University of North Korean Studies, told Agence La Belle France Presse. In July, Hyon Yong-Chol, a little-known general, became chief of the general staff, a powerful post that controls the North's 1.2-million-strong military. He replaced Ri Yong-Ho, who had been regarded as one of Kim's inner circle but was relieved of all his posts -- officially because of "illness." Ri was a highly visible figure who helped support Kim following the death of his father, and his sudden departure sparked speculation that he might have been purged. | |
Posted by:Fred |
#5 If Kyok-Sik has been given a top post - then it's reasonable to expect a lot more trouble from this bunch. Whatever dirty moves they can dream up ... there's a chance they will put them into play. |
Posted by: Raider 2012-11-30 23:32 |
#4 How would the Norks be able to localize a CVN to within 500 miles? Unless they aimed at Yokasuka of course. |
Posted by: Shipman 2012-11-30 15:44 |
#3 We need a 'team america' like puppet for Junior. Perhaps dress up the Philsbury dough boy in drag. As for the CVN - It's not unreasonable for the North Korean leadership to believe that Obama would not do anything if a missle was fired at the CVN. And if they are lucky he might confuse the issue ("Wait. don't do anything yet - I haven't decided what to do. Where's Valorie?") enough for the missile to do some damage. |
Posted by: CrazyFool 2012-11-30 13:52 |
#2 Indeed. A missile launch against an American CV would be a *major* propaganda coup. Sure, it would likely|hopefully get shot down, but the Americans would not do anything about it, other than a sternly worded warning, for fear of starting a war. |
Posted by: SteveS 2012-11-30 12:46 |
#1 "Orchestrated the North's sinking of a South Korean warship ..." > NOT good news for the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON CVN. |
Posted by: JosephMendiola 2012-11-30 00:16 |