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| North Korea's Kim Jong-Un (File Photo) |
By Zachary Keck
The manner in which Jang Song-Thaek was purged is almost unprecedented, underscoring Kim Jong-Un’s acute insecurity.
In many ways, the purge and execution of Jang Song-Thaek, North Korea’s number two and the uncle of Kim Jong-Un, is not at all surprising.
For the regime in Pyongyang, purging senior officials is like holding an election in a democratic state. Periodically, North Korea’s hereditary leaders have felt it necessary to remove some senior officials, likely to prevent any individual from growing too powerful, as well as to instill fear in those who remain.
In his short tenure as North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-Un has shown a special fondness for purging senior officials and other members of the North Korean elite. When viewed together, these purges clearly have a defined purpose; namely to help Kim Jong-Un consolidate power by removing vestiges of his father’s rule. This has at times bordered on the absurd, such as this summer when Kim Jong-Un order the executions of members of two music groups closely linked to his father, before ordering at least one of them be disbanded. The executions were reportedly carried out because sex tapes of some of their members surfaced. More than likely, Kim Jong-Un just wanted to eliminate the competitors of the all-female music group he created soon after taking office.
Read the full story at The Diplomat