North Korea has removed Pak Jong Chon, the second highest-ranking military official after leader Kim Jong Un, from his position. Pak, who was the vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party and a secretary of the party’s Central Committee, was replaced by Ri Yong Gil at the party’s annual meeting last week According to state media.
It is unclear why Pak Jong Chon, who was the second highest ranking military official in North Korea, was removed from his position. The decision was announced at the annual meeting of the party’s Central Committee last week. No further details were given. It is common for North Korea to reorganize its leadership, and the year-end party gathering is often used to announce personnel changes and major policy decisions. Pak was seen sitting in the front row of the podium at the meeting with his head down while others voted on personnel issues. He was later absent from the podium, and his seat was unoccupied. Photos released on Monday by the official news agency also showed that Pak was absent from Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s Day visit to the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, where the bodies of his ancestors are preserved. This is in contrast to October, when Pak accompanied Kim on a visit to the palace to mark a party anniversary. The Central Military Commission, which is led by Kim Jong Un, is considered the most influential military decision-making body in the country, above the Defense Ministry.
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