25 November 2015

Editorial: Senior North Korean Official Gets Sent for 'Re-education'

By Ankit Panda

Choe Ryong-hae, a senior North Korean official and frequent diplomatic envoy, has been punished for incompetence.

New rumblings out of North Korea suggest that Kim Jong-un’s seemingly unending power-consolidation process continues. Specifically, the mystery of where Choe Ryong Hae, a former “key aide” to Kim Jong-un and de facto regime number two at one point, went appears to have been resolved. Choe’s status has been the subject of speculation for North Korea watchers after he didn’t appear on a list prepared for the state funeral of a senior North Korean military official earlier this month.

Based on credible reports from South Korean intelligence, Yonhap reports that Choe was sent to a local farm as punishment for his mishandling of a power station construction project. In addition to Choe’s alleged incompetence, South Korean intelligence suggested that Kim and Choe encountered personal disagreements. Choe, secretary of the Worker’s Party of Korea (WPK), is reportedly set to receive “re-education” through hard labor.

Read the full story at The Diplomat