E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSNorth Korea's new leader Kim Jong Un has been appointed the Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army – further consolidating his power in the reclusive country. NBC News' Ed Flanagan reports from Beijing.
BEIJING –"We've decided to award the title of Marshal to Kim Jong Un, Supreme Commander of the Korean People's Army," the Korean TV anchor said in a special newscast Wednesday.
While the announcement that Kim Jong Un had been formally tapped as the top commander of the Korean People’s Army was considered a foregone conclusion around the world, the move crosses the t’s and dots the i’s crucial to the young leader’s bid to cement his control over the reclusive nation.
Conferred on Tuesday, but announced Wednesday, the title officially consolidates Kim’s control of the major organs of power in North Korea.
Consolidating power
In April, Kim was tapped as head of the Worker’s Party of Korea and First Chairman of the National Defense Commission. Those appointments came in the run up to a grand military parade and failed rocket launch that commemorated the 100th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the nation, and his grandfather, Kim Il Sung.
Krt / Reuters
North Korea leader Kim Jong Un inspects an armoured vehicle in this undated still image taken from video at an unknown location in North Korea released by North Korean state TV KRT on January 8, 2012.
But the title of “Marshal” conveyed on Kim gives the leader previously known as “The Young General” the highest rank in North Korea’s armed forces and final say over the most powerful body in the country: the 1.2 million strong Korean People’s Army.
Kim’s elevation wasn’t without losers. In the days leading up to the announcement, Kim is said to have orchestrated the purging of top general, Ri Yong-ho, who was previously Vice-Marshal of the army.
North Korea military chief, ally of new leader, relieved of duty
A relative unknown officer, Hyon Yong-chol, was chosen to replace Ri, leading to speculation that the move was made so Kim could more easily tap military resources without having to work through the elder, respected Ri.
Kim Kwang Hyon / AP
North Korean soldiers dance in the streets of Pyongyang on Wednesday after North Korea announced that leader Kim Jong Un was granted the title of marshal, a move that cements his status at the top of the authoritarian nation's military.
"I think North Korea's power elite group needed to control the military's reckless and provocative actions because Kim Jong Un can't implement any economic policies under such circumstances,” said Lee Seung-yeol, a senior research fellow at Ewha Institute of Unification Studies. ”It was seen as a necessary choice to sack Ri Yong-ho, who led the military's hardline policies for the last three years, to control the military."
Korean state press reported that Ri was being relieved due to illness, but according to Daniel Pinkston, North East Asia deputy project director for the International Crisis Group, sickness is not typically a motivator for North Korean generals to step down.
"An undefined health problem, I think that's very unlikely, it's not how they deal with it in North Korea,” Pinkston told a group of journalists in Seoul. “There are a number of officials, or cases of officials, who still stay in their positions despite very poor health or terminal illnesses, that's not how they deal with it."
Since taking over for his father, Kim Jong Il, following his death in December, the younger Kim, said to be in his twenties, has apparently been quietly working to consolidate his power in North Korea. The leadership in Pyongyang, older and once fiercely loyal to the elder Kim, have rallied around Kim Jong Un, banking on the stability provided by his hereditary succession.
On the surface, Kim appears to be making a slight departure from the cold, rigid control his father wielded over the DPRK. Just half a year since his elevation to power, Kim has spoken publically far more than the elder Kim ever did.
Even the news of Kim’s promotion was preceded by an earlier statement that an “important announcement” was going to be made, a rarity during the previous Kim’s reign. The pre-alert lead to concerns over what the announcement might entail and sent South Korea’s stock market down 1.5 percent, halting three previous days of gains in the market.
'Mystery woman' stirs talk of changing times in North Korea
In addition, recent pictures of Kim glad-handing with military officers, attending events with a mysterious young woman rumored to be his sister or wife and even taking in a concert employing dancing Disney-like characters, have brought speculation that the young leader is quietly allowing some liberalization to occur.
Not so, said Pinkston.
"As far as people speculating about Yong-ho being sacked and this being a sign of moving in a direction of reform and liberalization, I don't see that being the case,” he said.
With this further consolidation of power at the cost of one of his father’s close military advisers, Kim is seemingly swinging the pendulum in the other direction, showing that just like his father, the young marshal plans to rule through his army.
Leave a Comment:
I still have the feeling, this youngster is going to open up the country.
I hope I'm right.
This youngster needs a lesson. Lets just bomb the hell out of NK and get done with it.
Question they need to pose to the his highness: "Tell us Marshall ass-wipe, is it true that your fat ass got stuck in the tank hatch?" Marshall ass-wipe, "Absolutely not, who said that, I will send their family to a gulag! Oops, I mean, I will send them to the Advance Cultural Learning Center for the disadvantage!" Guards, take him away! I mean, please escort this individual to the Cultural Learning Center to be with his family."
In America the wealth passes from generation to generation, in Korea I guess its the Army.
That is to come soon!
Hope you are right, Tumbleweed.
Lost in the excitement of becoming a "Marshal" of the North Korean military is the fact that the boy genius Kim Jong Un today also won the annual Elvis Presley look-alike contest, announced in Moscow, Russia. The other two multiple recipients of that prestigous Russian award were Kim's alleged grandfather, Kim Il Sung, and Kim's alleged father, Kim Jong Il. Good work, all you Kim's!
Excitement indeed!!! Congratulations to Kim Jong Un for automatically winning the title of "Marshall"... what a high honor, and completely unexpected! And wow, think of all the military experience he has to be not only "The Young General", "The Supreme Commander", and "Marshall" -- the guy must really be a military genius, and really physically fit yet to boot!! No wonder the male and female soldiers in the picture are dancing in the streets with big grins on their faces - to Michael Jackson's music, no doubt. What a joyous day for everyone, maybe we can look at those impressive photos of Dear Leader Kim Jong Un riding gallantly on horseback again.
Sorry to hear about Vice Marshall Ri Yong-Ho getting sick and having to step down and all, I am sure he'll be feeling much better soon and will be out and about again in public in no time at all LOL!
If he does "open up", millions will leave in search of food and essentials - mostly to China, but perhaps the good citizens of Arizona will open their arms to these refugees! As our population continues to age, the US will need young immigrants to keep the worker-to-retiree ratios from falling too far too fast! It is the only factor that keeps the US from reaching crisis ratios like Japan, Russia and eventually China due to their 1 child policy.
You hit the nail on the head...Technology jobs have brought so many eastern Europe and Asian people to the USA, and I say keep 'em coming. The fact is US companies will hire the people they feel will be productive regardless of color or origin, so I do not see it as a challenge to US citizens, if they want the job they can go after it. My 30 something Daughter can continue to go attend all the Occupy protests she wants instead of doing better for herself through hard work. If some bright Pakistani gets the job instead due to skills, oh well, they deserved it and worked to get it, congratulations. I want to retire in 5 years and I know my social security benefits will be intact if we have more people paying in than are in the country now. Bring in the best and give them good salaries so they pay more to taxes and social security please. If the spoiled youth in the USA wants to whine instead of work, guess who will go from pouting to crying real quick while others work hard and put a smile on their face and bitch not? Who do you want to hire?
Tumbleweed, I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt for the time being but it sure looks Marshall in training " Lil fat boy" Kim is having difficulty making it through the driver's hatch of that PT-76 amphibious tank!
Until he does something to deserve condemnation, I'll not be calling him names.
Being born to this post, in itself, does not make him evil.
I was actually joking more than I was intending to call names. Guess I should have thought it out a bit better. Thanks for the rebuke.
I have to agree with Arizona. Just because my dad is a meth addict doesn't automatically make me one.
Arizona Tumbleweed, you are aware that he has gulags still operating in his country? And you are aware that if you don't wipe your butt exactly as you're instructed that you and your entire family go to the gulag. And that's only if he doesn't torture and shoot them first. I really think you have no idea who this piece of $hit really is. He will be as sadistic and psychotic as his father and grandfather were in their leadership. Tell me, how does grass and mud pies for dinner sound to you. And for dessert, how about human body parts! I mean, what's a little bit of cannibalism among friends. Still think this pig deserves compassion!
It doesn't appear as though he is easing up when his people are sent to a facility to re program them if they don't cry hard enough at a funeral, but then we send people to rehab or counseling if they don't behave the way they are expected, whats the difference? at least when they are incarcerated there is a possibility that they might get a meal at some time of the day, and unlike us they probably won't get a multi thousand dollar bill when they are released, collective thinking is their way of doing things and wasn't it Hillery Clinton that said we need more collective thinking in America, whats around the corner for the US if the far left gets its way? we are loosing our rights, you cant say what you want if there is someone out there that doesn't want to hear it, it could be a hate crime. North Korea is a example of what happens when government gets to big and to controlling, and the people get to dependant on their government. what NK is lacking is the conservative element to keep things in check, conservatives in NK are the ones that go to the re programing facilities there is no room for independent thought in a socialist society, if you are not part of the herd you are a problem. I don't think Kim will ever allow independent thought to manifest in NK its not good for socialism. what I fail to understand is at one point the people wanted this and they fought for it, well now they have it, they can't make it go away. their government has to much power and that's all there is to it. and one man controls it all. Kim is scary.
Rocco and D Buck, you both have numeric suffixes slapped on your handles, which means you cause enough trouble around the Newsvine that the mods need to keep close tabs on what you say. Here is the thing, you both spew garbage like it is the truth and like you have first hand knowledge of just what life is like in NK. You obviously do not have such empirical knowledge of what it is like inside the barbed wire. I can have hope that the new leader, with his time outside the barbed wire, really knows what it is like to live in a westernized world, and that he does have hopes for opening up his country from its current state of isolation. He just has to do it in a slow manner so he can build the power to get change, and be sure that he does not get a dose of radiation added to his cheerios.
skunky-shoes - Let me explain it a little clearer for a moron such as yourself. There is spy photos of the gulags and where they are located on the internet taken by our spy satellites, not to mention various intelligence magazines have reported the same with similar photos. People that have escaped from the North report of the horrendous living conditions. I will not elaborate further because your such a mental genius and wouldn't understand someone with my meager education, (three tours in Korea, of which one was near the DMZ, and 20 years of military service) explaining to someone so esteem as yourself. And since soldiers are stationed there why would anyone think that the villagers' would confide to the U.S. soldiers on the living conditions and the state of the country, let alone watch Korean television and listen to uncensored Korean broadcasts. I mean what would I know, right?
I do not "spew" garbage since I can back up everything I say. Go ahead smart-a$$ debunk what I said is not already fact? As for the North Korean leadership, they do not blow their noises without the Red Chinese permission. Do you really think the Reds will allow for Democracy to be instituted let alone flourish in the North? Those changes being made are to stabilize the border with the South and prevent mass exodus of North Korean refugees into China. Hear is a clue, North Korea is the DMZ for China and South Korea with American troops. So don't kid yourself slick, they don't give a damn about them as human beings! Just ask anyone who has basic knowledge of the Korea situation on that obvious fact.
As for the moderators monitoring both of us it sounds like you did not like our posts on other topics that may of hurt your whittle whittle feelings. I only get confrontational when someone throws cheap shots like your punk-a$$ did!
I hope Mr Un continues with his easing up of such strict control on the N Korean citizens.
Good luck in your new endeavors Mr Un.
Not to give you a hard time, but it is Mr. Kim, not Mr. Un. In North Korea, like in many Asian countries, the surname comes first and the given name follows. If you were to follow the convention we use his name would be Jung Un Kim.
It seems that liberals in this country like this guy is it because of their collective way of doing things like when they all do the same thing at the same time, they all cry on command, they all laugh at the same time, they all dance at the same time, they all walk at the same speed, they even face in the same direction, they think as one. if one does his own thing he gets sent to the programing facility for a reboot.
@JS in SD all though Mr Kim is correct Mr Un is appropriate don't you think! as in 0.
two h-bombs would solve the korean problem! make that one!
And one normal bomb could save the US from people like you.
VeniVidiVici, do I detect a little bit of Caesar coming out there?
VeniVedi whatever. The problems is that people like you think YOU'RE normal. IF Truman hadn't been such a wimp, one atomic bomb around 1951 would have saved approximately 8 million lives estimated to have been murdered and starved to death in North Korea since, and if we had dropped a few on China and Russia circa 1946, another 60 million might not have been killed in purges and revolutionary cleansing. Of course you don't care about that; all you want to do is "give peace a chance". What bull! The problem with pacifiists is that they sit on the side-lines when people are getting slaughtered doing nothing and then open the hole's in their face whenever somoeone implies a military solution to human animals such as Hitler, Mao, Stalin, and the whole Kim line. THAT is why the human species has to keep putting up with animals in human form and despots that are allowed to get away with anything because people, or nations that could stop it are too chicken-sh_t to do so. Enough said.
@JP good point. its the mouthy do nothings that can't figure that out that allow the problems to manifest in the first place. to remove the one bad apple from the bushel to save the rest is reasonable.
JP, you are just another numeric suffix on the baby sit list...I'm not even interested in trying to figure out how blowing up a country saves lives in the long run. I do know that outsiders can't really be effective at altering internal conflicts for the better. Think about the middle east and how interventions really did not yield intended results. Think about how our own country was born on a successful revolution...It wasn't because the French and Spaniards were convincing the revolutionaries to go to war against the British. They may have helped us win our independence, but we did it for ourselves. Regime change has to come from within.
My biggest concern is, Obama is going to be jealous.
Yes,but give him another 4 years to weed out the unbelivers...:o)
He's becoming a more powerful leader every day.
True. What we need to do now is get him a free vacation in Amsterdam. Get him a Harley. A week with the weed, booze and broads should corrupt him enough that we can trust he will come out of the 19th Century.
TB MIKE - he already spent a few years in Europe going to college.
It's almost hard to believe a regime like this still exists in this day and age. Things have changed so much in so many countries over the last thirty years. These people have never tasted the freedoms we take for granted. Gonna be a big party if they ever do. Real dancing in the streets!
In 100 years history classes will be teaching how social networking of the early 21st century caused the lower and middle classes all around the world to question their lives, see how the other side lives, and become powerful to enact change worldwide. The Age of Aquarius is upon us. A new awareness is spreading like wild fire world wide. Things will get way worse but then the people of the earth will rise out of chaos and be as one with common aspirations and objectives. Leaders will simply work for the people or they will not lead, this will come to be.
A total dictator who's "awarded" top military rank. Don't these clowns realise how rediculous they look parading around with medals when they've accomplished nothing but traveling the world spending daddies money and attending elite schools in europe?
You mean like the joke I have to address as my president?
Unlike the young, hereditary dictator in North Korea, your President was elected by a majority of the American people.
Big difference.
The Pillsbury Dough Boy in a uniform. Medals and all !
The country starves, but looks like he and his "leaders" could due without for a few months and still get by.
I wasn't impressed by the fat midget before but now I see the Magnificent Leader is the Hero this world needs and deserves!
I a Lord Marshall of all the known universe! Top that! There.
What a joke- a meaningless & unearned title in a country governed by a regime that starves its people
I get so sick and tired of hearing from the feeble minded comments like lit's bomb the hell out of them, forgetting that there are women, children and elderly that have to culpability in any of this, but to the far and short sighted right wing this is of no bother to their conscience because they don't have one.
William - thanks for adding your "feeble minded comment". Funny how North Koreans don't give a damn about OUR women, children, and elderly. Who the friggin hell do you think has been selling nuclear technology to fundamentalists that want to destroy us; weapons systems and military advisors to every US aggressor since, and including the Vietnam War, and financing terrorist activities all over the world? Geet some education please! North Korea is one of the most prolific states supporting terrorism world-wide, and I wouldn't lose one minute of sleep if the whole country ceased to exist with everyone in it. THAT is the approach we took with Germany and Japan in WW2, and because of it MILLIONS of people were SAVED in the long run. There is some truth to the addage that sometimes "in order to save something you have to first destroy it".
JP - It's amazing that every conclusion has to involve blowing some country to kingdom come. "Who the friggin hell do you think has been selling nuclear technology to fundamentalists" - uhh, Iran, Pakistan, CHINA, Russia, and some Americans. We do not have the right to infuse our "American" ideals on others even though I am sure you think our way is superior. Maybe you should be worried that the majority of this country's citizens have become increasingly stupid over the past decades and now cannot tell you who the VP is, but they can damn sure tell you who Tom Cruise is married to.
Big government and more control control over citizens is not good no matter how slowly it starts.
@ JBrite We are getting there slowly but surely we are on our way, our divine leader intends to sign us over to the UN. making our constitution second to UN mandates, we will be under the universal rule, but first the country has to be disarmed, that will be done in the next 4 years if we allow it. Hillery is working overtime with the UN on a program that will disarm the nation, its all part of the NWO, America is key to the UN for the power to do this. its a very slow process being put in place generation by generation its been going on for a century the chess pieces are being collected, our wealth was stolen by the Federal reserve and the world bank, we will be disarmed, our military will be controlled by the UN, all nations will pay a tax to the UN and the UN will dictate to all nations what they can and cant do, there is even talk of a one world currency, it wont happen in my lifetime, but my children will see it. and yes everyone will be taught how to think collectively. it will be a world of happy sheep they think.
If only us right wingers understood the needs of the people they way this fat Commie does.....we could also be starving,this in a nation of farmers.But,if you look closely Pres.Obamur is doing his best to give you clowns the country you desire...Notice the sarcasm...:o)
This is about as momentous as a third-grader receiving a "gold star" for a science project . . . what a joke!
PTByrd - You missed last weeks announcement. Marshall Fat Ass received his Third Grade gold star last Friday.
Well you can say all you want to about North Korea, But at least they don't have Barrack Obama running their country. When people vote for someone solely on their race, sometimes letting the public vote isn't the right thing to do. Hopefully the idiots that voted for Nobama solely on his color have had 4 years to mature and will do the right thing in November.
Sure do. Plan on voting for him again. Much better than the empty suit being put up by the party of no.
Falcon, Racist alert! TBS: Tiny Brain Syndrome.
I voted for President Obama not because of his color, but because he's not a Republican.
I'll vote for him again.
When the Republican's stop nominating candidates simply because they're more anti-gay, anti-woman, anti-science and anti-progress than their competition, I might actually starting voting Republican again.
Wow, he leaped over all the Military chieftains and proclaimed himself as the sole Marshall of all their forces. Strange, their army large as it is, has yet to fight in a pitched battle since 1953. I wonder where all those decorations come from that are so evident on their uniforms? Peeing in a straight line during a freezing winter might get one a combat medal eh?
Mostly, this kid should have a long look at the abject emotional, psychological and physical poverty that seems to encompass the vast majority of N.Koreans, step back and cut back on the military budget and see about getting some food, medical supplies and a sense of belonging to rather than being controlled by egomaniacs who live a reclusive lifestyle; with the exception of good Brandy, great food, warm beds and large cars to drive.
The idiot who made the reference to the POTUS is just that - an idiot. The POTUS is not a dictator, but an elected official and works for the good of America rather than the selfish one dimensional approach utilized so unsuccessfully by the loyal opposition party - who wish to seek an oligarchical dictatorship of wealth, power and the military.
I guess playing video games while in college earns that right in North Korea. They are stooges. Let this guy play strategy with any of our military Generals in a war.
I read a article about Kim Jung Ill this guys father, that they always tell the public these outrageous stories so they'll think these idiots are actually cool. One of the things that N Korea had put in their newspaper was that Kim Jung Ill had went golfing with some of the world's greatest golfers and that Kim Jung Ill had hit like 4 or 5 hole in ones. I was wondering if this was like putt putt or a real golf course. Although North Koreans are forced to act like they believe the thing there leaders portray I truely hope in their own minds they don't believe the crap these idiots tell them, but wolud if the leaders told them they could read their minds oh my they're screwed lol
falcon creech - As outrageous as those stories are that they tell about their leader to the people, they really believe them. People thought the scene showing thousands of people wailing in the streets were just a show they put on were very sincere. Their mini god died and it was the end of the world for them. To us, we see something like that and were shocked that so many people can be brainwashed by a system or person. But history has many from Persia, Egypt, Mongolia, Rome, Germany, Russia, etc... It also helps if you have a gun pointed to the back of their head too!
Come on falcon creech, do you really think our media is much different, maybe not as out in the open but we are often kept in the dark on many issues.
Falcon Creech, I have been to North Korea... most of them do believe it. You would too if you had grown up under such a system of total information control. They worship their leaders like a religion... there is even a name for it: Kimilsungism"
I spent 13 months stationed at Pan Mun Jom, the 200 meter diameter Truce Circle which was established be the North Koreans and Chinese Communists and on the other, the United Nations, 8th US Army. This is where the hot air dialog flowed for months over trivialities and face saving. I can remember talking to a NK soldier one day while making sure our Korean laborers weren't bothered by the North. I gave him everything he wanted to hear: college student, resisted for more "class conscious" courses, the down trodden working class. The kid fell for it and then I asked Horseblanked by the censor. No way GI.HorseShixx. He ate ate good chow, had access to American cigarettes. Had quarters at our UN base camp. He never worked up a sweat, nor did another laborers. The next character was Major Lee, of the People's Republic of N.K. He the same duties as did our Deputy U.S. Naval Commander. They would meet once a day, if something major had occurred both were responsible for getting their respective sides together for a full blown Military Armistice Commission Meeting. Th five huts of the American turncoats still stood just by the "Bridge of No Return".