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China-Japan-Koreas
North Korea announces execution of Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek
2013-12-13
[Washington Post] North Korea announced Friday that it has executed Jang Song Thaek, the uncle of leader Kim Pudge Jong-un
...the overweight, pouty-looking hereditary potentate of North Korea. Pudge appears to believe in his own divinity, but has yet to produce any loaves and fishes, so his subjects remain malnourished...
, calling him a "traitor for all ages" who had opposed Kim's rule and plotted his overthrow.

Jang was executed after admitting to his crimes before a military tribunal Thursday, the North said in a statement released by its state-run news agency
...and if you can't believe the state-run news agency who can you believe?...
.

The North said that Jang's death sentence "served as sledge-hammer blow" that reflected the anger of the country's military personnel.

Jang's execution follows an announcement earlier this week that Kim's uncle, once among the leader's inner circle of advisers, had been stripped of all his posts.

His removal marked the most significant shake-up in two years under Kim's leadership, and his execution suggests that the North's young leader is willing to go after his rivals publicly in ways his more secretive father never did. The North has never so explicitly described the crimes or the punishment of a high-level official, many experts said.
Posted by:Fred

#9  Well, seems no one likes pudge. Everyone is cheating on him. The wife, the uncle, the ex-girl friend...
Posted by: Guillibaldo McCoy1948   2013-12-13 22:12  

#8  Accordimg to the Daily Beast

Why did Kim have Jang killed? It may have been personal. Jang introduced Kim to his eventual wife, Ri Sol Ju. According to a growing number of accounts, Jang also had an affair with her. Furthermore, there are reports that Jang and Ri were somehow involved in a sex tape. In any event, she has not been seen in public since October. Kim Kyong Hui, Kim’s aunt, supposedly approved the execution of her husband. Most of this narrative remains unconfirmed, but this storyline makes understandable Kim’s surprise—and unprecedented—decision to put to death a family member. Moreover, this narrative explains the charge against Jang of “womanizing.”

Whether or not a personal feud has turned deadly, the regime may be unraveling. London’s Telegraph believes that the ailing Kim Kyong Hui may be the next regime figure to be purged. There is one report that five of Jang Song Thaek’s aides were executed with him—two were known to have been put to death in the middle of last month—and one Chinese-language news site maintains that “recently” two vice premiers have fled to China seeking asylum.

In any event, Jang has dozens of allies among top regime officials, and, as Korea-watcher Bruce Bechtol notes, his patronage network started in Pyongyang and reached down to municipalities across the country. Because of Kim Jong UnÂ’s brutality, JangÂ’s allies and friends know that they, along with their families, will be either executed or sent to concentration camps. Their choice now is either to run or fight. More blood will undoubtedly flow.

More at the link.
Posted by: trailing wife   2013-12-13 20:32  

#7  Death by Mortar.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2013-12-13 18:52  

#6  And the arc of socialism is validated yet again.
Posted by: AlanC   2013-12-13 08:21  

#5  Survival of the fittest most ruthless & most dangerous
Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418   2013-12-13 07:57  

#4  The little fat nerd is rapidly becoming a regular Caligula.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2013-12-13 03:01  

#3  Didn't he have his gf shot too? I wonder if maybe Uncle was banging his girl?
Posted by: Silentbrick - Schlumberger Squishy Mud Division   2013-12-13 01:04  

#2  Any insights on this from Dennis Rodman ?
Posted by: Besoeker   2013-12-13 00:55  

#1  From what I understand he was charged with dealing in foreign currency and went against an order from Kim to make "certain industries more financially independent". (Japan News Outlets)

Also, even if it takes murdering a well entrenched relative to open another key post to loyalists consolidates power. Kim is ruthless, dangerous and if we had decent American leadership, capitalizing in any way possible on the probably of near paranoia the NK people most likely have regarding Kim would be a smart move these days.
Posted by: Guillibaldo McCoy1948   2013-12-13 00:19  

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