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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has unexpectedly replaced both the head of the rogue state's spy agency and his bodyguard in another apparent purge, according to South Korean media reports.
Seoul's Unification Ministry said Kim replaced Jang Kil-song as director of the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) in December 2019 with Lt. Gen. Rim Kwang-il, reported The Korea Herald, an English-language newspaper based in the South Korean capital. Rim was also reportedly appointed as a member of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party.
Army Gen. Yun Jong-rin, who had been protecting Kim since 2010, was replaced by Kwak Chang-sik as the new Supreme Guard commander. He is also a member of the ruling party's central committee, according to reports.
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No reason was given the replacements. Other moves included the appointing of Hyun Song-wol, who led the all-female Moranbong band in North Korea, to vice director of the propaganda and agitation department, The Herald reported. At one point, false rumors indicated she had been executed.
The RBG is thought to be behind much of the North's spy operations, cyber warfare and other attacks on South Korea, Japan and the United States. South Korean officials believe the agency was behind a 2010 attack on one of its navy vessels that killed 46 sailors.
The cabinet reshuffle was announced by the Unification Ministry in its annual publication, The Herald reported. The shake-ups appear to indicate Kim is trying to tighten his grip on power by placing key aides in major posts, the ministry said.
“Last year, 80 percent of the politburo members were replaced and nine of 11 members, or 82 percent, of the State Affairs Commission were changed,” a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity. “This indicates the generation shifts and [Kim’s] focus on performance-based personnel reshuffle. It can be seen that Kim has consolidated power in the country, as well.”
The position of Kim's sister, Kim Yo-jong, was not immediately known. She received widespread attention last month after global rumors circulated about her brother's health and a possible change in leadership after he disappeared from public view for nearly three weeks.
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Kim has purged key aides in the past. In 2013, he reportedly had his uncle executed for being a "traitor" and other crimes.