North Korea has replaced its hard-line armed forces minister with a relatively young and little-known field commander in what appears to be a move by leader Kim Jong-un to tighten his grip on the powerful military.
In the military reshuffle, confirmed Monday through a report by the (North) Korean Central News Agency, Jang Jong-nam, believed to be in his 50s, replaced Kim Kyok-sik who allegedly led North Korea’s sinking of a South Korean naval vessel and shelling of an island in the West Sea, both in 2010. It’s quite unusual that Kim was dismissed after serving just seven months as the armed forces minister, the South Korean equivalent of the defense minister.
Jang, who commanded the Korean People’s Army’s First Corps in Gangwon Province on the east coast until recently, is considered to be a member of the junior faction in the North Korean military, and his sudden emergence may signal that Kim Jong-un’s push for a generational shift in the military has come to an end. In April last year, Choe Ryong-hae, Kim’s close confidant, was promoted to become director of the KPA General Political Bureau, the North’s No. 1 military post, and Hyon Yong-chol substituted Ri Yong-ho, the military’s old guard, as the chief of the KPA General Staff in July.
North Korea watchers say Pyongyang’s frequent military shakeups ― most frontline commanders have allegedly been replaced in recent months ― may be proof that the young North Korean leader has yet to take hold of the military fully although one and a half years has passed since Kim took over the reins of power from his late father in December 2011.
There is speculation that Jang’s appointment may be Pyongyang’s attempt to sound out the possibility of resuming dialogue with Seoul and Washington after ramping up tensions through months of warlike threats. That is, Kim Jong-un wanted to remove the most hawkish military personnel and key figures from his father’s era to create a milieu for dialogue.
Simultaneously, the North Korean leader might have regarded Kim Kyok-shik as a hurdle to his ambitious plan to keep abreast of both nuclear armament and economic development. These arguments, however, seem far-fetched, given that it would be difficult for the isolationist regime in Pyongyang to soften its stance overnight.
Whatever the reasons may be, North Korea’s military shakeup is an important development that must be watched closely because it could affect inter-Korean relations significantly. Our military and security authorities need to get a clear picture of the shakeup’s background and take necessary measures.