Many analysts view North Korea’s sudden sacking of leading military official Pak Jong Chon during a Workers’ Party plenary meeting held late last year as a disciplinary measure.
However, inside North Korea, some people speculate that Pak could return at any time because his sacking was not the result of illegal activity.
In reporting the results of the Sixth Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee on Jan. 1, Rodong Sinmun and other North Korean media outlets reported that “Pak Jong Chon was recalled and Ri Yong Gil was by-elected as vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission.”
Pak attended the plenary session, sitting on the podium, but North Korea’s Central TV caught him with his head hung low, unable to raise his hand during the vote on organizational matters, which deals with shifts in personnel.
This scene led many North Korea watchers to believe his removal was disciplinary in nature.
According to a high-ranking Daily NK source in North Korea, while Pak was indeed removed from his post as vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission, he can continue to play a role in military-related duties even without an official job title because his removal was not a punishment.
The source said it would be difficult to completely exclude Pak from military duties because he is a commander with the rank of marshal and a key military mind with a firm understanding of the strategies and tactics at the heart of North Korea’s artillery and rocket forces.
In fact, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly told high-ranking cadres while Pak was not around that he understood the general suffered from insomnia “because he was tasked with too many things during the 10 years of [Kim’s] revolutionary leadership,” and that he wanted to “give Comrade Pak Jong Chon a bit of rest.”
North Korean authorities intentionally conveyed Kim’s comments to leading officials in the military and munitions industry immediately after the plenary meeting, too.
Upon hearing Kim’s comments about Pak’s dismissal, military cadres were reportedly moved to tears by Kim’s “love and concern.”
The authorities also appear to have taken measures to prevent unconfirmed rumors about the sudden sacking of a long-time Kim favorite, or backbiting that the dismissal was disciplinary.
Last year, Yu Jin — a key player in North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs — was sacked as head of the Central Committee’s Munitions Industry Department and alternate politburo member, but he returned as a Central Committee member during the latest plenary meeting.
According to multiple sources in North Korea, Yu continued to shoulder heavy responsibilities connected to the development of strategic weapons even after he was removed as head of the Munitions Industry Department.
Last December, the US Treasury Department added Yu to its list of sanctioned individuals due to his participation in the development of WMDs and ballistic missiles even after his dismissal.
Likewise, Pak could take part in closed-door duties related to North Korean army strategies and tactics or the country’s artillery force.
Ri Yong Gil, who replaced Pak, has experienced ups and downs, including rumors that he was executed in 2016, but he has risen through the military’s top positions thanks to his recognized “loyalty.”
When Ri Pyong Chol was sacked for negligence in the construction of a quarantine facility in Uiju and issues during special food provisions, the man who was dispatched to the scene and resolved the problem just as the party wished was Ri, who was the defense minister at the time.
According to the source, Ri is an official who gets things done — he responds to party policy and immediately puts it into action.
“He got his current position as a person who has quietly protected his position without rancor or pessimism, even in the face of criticism or punishment, regardless of recognition, looking only toward the party,” he said.
About the shakeup in the military leadership, military cadres reportedly say that “only by protecting the Sun [the supreme leader] with your life through absolute loyalty can you become a leading commander of the revolution, regardless of your background, age, position, career or even past accomplishments.”
Given the current mood within the military, loyalty competitions among military cadres will likely intensify.
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