North Korea promotes military official to key rank after removing army chief
SEOUL. July 17. KAZINFORM North Korea said Tuesday that it had promoted a little known general to a key military rank, a day after it announced that it had relieved its army chief of all his government posts, according to CNN.
The secretive state's top two military commissions have decided to give the title of vice marshal to Hyon Yong Chol, according to a report by the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The KCNA report did not say whether Hyon will replace Ri Yong Ho, the departed army chief. Ri held the title of vice marshal along with other military and party posts before his removal.
There are several other vice marshals in North Korea at the moment. Those holding the title are considered to be eligible for key posts in the upper echelons of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
The title of chief marshal is held by Kim Jong Un, who became "supreme leader" of North Korea after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il, in December.
Not much is known about Hyon, but his promotion is probably the work of Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Taek, an influential figure behind Kim's rise, according to Park Soo-geun, a former commander of the South Korean Defense Intelligence Command.
"He was promoted in 2010 to the rank equivalent to that of four-star general together with Kim Jong Un," Park said, referring to Hyon.
"But being promoted to vice marshal means he will now show off his power at the political stage," Park, a retired South Korean major general, added.
When and where Hyon was born are unknown.
North Korea said Monday that it was relieving Ri from all his posts due to illness. It did not elaborate on the nature of his illness.
Ri was considered one of Kim Jong Un's closest aides during and after his rise to power.
The news prompted speculation among analysts that there might be a power struggle between North Korea's powerful military and civilian elite.