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North Korea’s defence minister dismissed in reshuffle of military leadership

No Kwang-chol was also demoted in the ruling party leadership to ‘first vice-director of the Munitions Industry Department’

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-un attends a ruling party meeting on Saturday. Photo: KCNA via Reuters
Agence France-Presse
North Korea’s defence minister has been dismissed as part of a reshuffle of the country’s military leadership, state media reported on Sunday.
The “structural reorganisation plans” were decided during a meeting on Saturday led by Kim Jong-un, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.

No Kwang-chol was not only dismissed as defence minister but also demoted in the ruling party leadership to “first vice-director of the Munitions Industry Department”, KCNA said.

Kim Song-gi, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army, was named as the new defence minister.

Another senior official, defence adviser Pak Jong-chon, was given the position of vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and named to the ruling party’s Political Bureau. Several other promotions were also announced.

Kim meets scientists, researchers and officials from key national defence research institutions at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang on Saturday. Photo: KCNA via Reuters
Kim meets scientists, researchers and officials from key national defence research institutions at the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea in Pyongyang on Saturday. Photo: KCNA via Reuters

In a separate report, KCNA said Kim had lauded scientists, researchers and officials at a ceremony on Saturday for their advances in defence technology, giving them top national honours.

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