State TV had broadcast footage
of Mr Chang being removed from a public party meeting by armed guards
The once-powerful uncle of North
Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been executed after being purged for corruption,
state news agency KCNA reports.
Chang Song-thaek was dramatically removed from a Communist Party session by
armed guards earlier this week.
He was accused of forming factions against the state, corruption and
"depraved" acts such as womanising and drug abuse.
It was the biggest upheaval since Mr Kim succeeded his father two years
ago.
KCNA said Mr Chang had been executed immediately after a military trial on
Thursday, calling him a "traitor" and accusing him of seeking to overthrow the
state.
He had already been stripped of all his official titles
and expelled from the party.
Mr Chang was seen as a major power broker in North Korea, and had mentored Mr
Kim as he took over the leadership of the secretive, tightly controlled
country.
Analysts say his fall from grace could be seen as the latest in a series of
carefully calibrated moves to demonstrate Kim Jong-un's authority and an
assertion of his independence.
As news of his purge emerged, South Korean President Park Geun-hye warned the
North was "carrying out a reign of terror" to reinforce Mr Kim's position.
She said the volatile relationship between the two countries was likely to
become "more unstable" as a result.
No comments:
Post a Comment