North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made significant changes to his country’s military leadership, including firing his top general and appointing a new chief of the General Staff, according to state media reports. General Pak Su Il has been relieved of his position, and Vice Marshal Ri Yong Gil has been appointed as his replacement. The shakeup also involved other “top commanders,” although specific details were not provided. North Korea regularly undergoes such military leadership changes, with some leaders reemerging in different positions while others vanish from public view.
The appointment of Ri Yong Gil as the new top general reflects his long-standing status within North Korea’s military elite. However, seven years ago, he was rumored to have been executed following a staff shakeup. Some analysts believe that Kim Jong Un’s reshuffling of military personnel may not necessarily be punitive, but rather a way to prevent any individual from becoming too powerful. The North Korean leader frequently rotates leadership positions to avoid a challenge to his authority.
The military leadership shakeup was mentioned towards the end of the report by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). The focus of the report was on the “important issue of making the military more war-ready given the dire political and military situation that prevails” on the Korean peninsula. While the report did not mention South Korea and the United States by name, it indirectly referred to them as the “main culprits” responsible for the worsening situation. The meeting analyzed their military movements and emphasized the need for North Korea to make full preparations for war.
North Korea has been ramping up its military rhetoric lately, threatening to shoot down US reconnaissance planes and retaliating against the arrival of a US nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine in South Korea. Pyongyang has also displayed its advances in ballistic missile technology, conducting tests that suggest it has the capability to strike the mainland United States. At Wednesday’s meeting, Kim Jong Un ordered war exercises using the country’s newest weapons.
The tension on the Korean peninsula has prompted South Korea to announce a nationwide civil defense drill scheduled for August 23. The drill aims to prepare residents for evacuation to shelters or safe underground spaces and is a response to the provocations by North Korea. Despite the armistice that ended the Korean War 70 years ago, the two Koreas technically remain at war as no formal peace treaty has been signed.