 Former Minister of the People’s Armed Forces Jang Jong Nam appears at a Victory Day event sporting the insignia of a colonel general. | Image: KCNA |
Former Minister of the People’s Armed
Forces Jang Jong Nam has been demoted to the rank of colonel general, seemingly
as part of attempts to demonstrate Kim Jong Eun’s complete control over the military.
A Chosun Central News
Agency (KCNA) report from July 28th, “Kim Jong Un Enjoys Performance Given by
State Merited Chorus”, included a photo showing Jang sporting the rank insignia
of a colonel general.
Although
Jang’s title has been unconfirmed since he lost the defense portfolio to Hyon Yong
Chul last month, his location in the image suggests that he may now be commander of
a Chosun People’s Army corps.
In
the image, Kim Jong Eun is seated in the front row with his most senior
military officials. Deputy staff officers are in the row behind, with corps
commanders in the third row. These include 2nd Corps commander Kim Sang Ryong and 4th
Corps commander Ri Seong Guk. Jang was commander of the 1st Corps between April 2012 and May 2013.
There has been a constant churn of promotion and demotion in the senior ranks
of the military since Kim Jong Eun’s assumption of power in late 2011, a strategic process to ensure security, demonstrate Kim’s total command, and foster fear and loyalty
in the senior ranks. This implies that Jang’s latest demotion could easily be
short-lived.
