North Korea has reportedly been carrying
out lectures not only for military cadres but also provincial Party officials in
the wake of the execution of its defense chief Hyon Yong Chol, Daily NK has
learned. At Party lectures, documents have been handed out stating Hyon was
executed for his disgruntlement towards Kim Jong Un’s leadership and the
Party’s ideology, a local source told Daily NK.
“A lecture was held for Party cadre this
past Saturday, and it was mentioned that Hyon was executed because of his discontent
with the Party’s ideology, Kim’s leadership and Hyon’s mistrust in the
monolithic system,” the source based in Yangkang Province told Daily NK on
Tuesday. “These days, Party officials are mostly keeping to themselves to make
sure they don’t get roped into something.”
“I also heard during the lecture that aside
from Hyon, five other officials were purged,” the source said, adding that the
documents did not explicitly state the names of these five individuals but that
they were “likely figures related to Hyon.” This, he went on, has fueled
speculation among Party cadres that with five others already caught in the wake
of purges, “predicting how many more will fall has become difficult.”
Members of the public speculate that the
purge of such high-level officials likely signals there is trouble within the
higher ranks. While most people only can see what is conveyed to them through
state television or newspapers, for such high-ranking authorities closer to the
leader to be purged is a sign that things may be askew in the political
arena, according to the source.
“During the Kim Jong Il era, laymen such as
anti-socialists or defectors were more subject to punishment; under Kim Jong
Un’s rule, however, it’s mostly Party cadres, indicating that officials are not
blindly abiding the Marshal’s [Kim Jong Un] orders to the letter,” the source
said. By his assertion, such insubordination would have been unfathomable
during previous leaderships, but cases like that of Jang Song Thaek suggest that such cases are increasing.
“Party cadres have recently been on guard,
making sure not to comment on things such as the Hyon incident,” the source
reported. “Especially in the border area, surveillance on residents has been
amped up, putting people on edge as well.”
North Korea is said to have carried out
multiple purges of Party cadres following the execution of Jang Song Thaek back
in December 2013. Naturally, the source said, many residents are discontent
with the fear Kim Jong Un’s leadership has instilled in the population but, as
ever, must keep such sentiments to themselves.
*The content of this article was broadcast to the North Korean people via Unification Media Group.