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Kim Jong-un tightens grip on military after embarrassing naval incident

Published: 30 May. 2025, 13:17

Kim Jong-un speaks during the eighth enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party at the party headquarters on May 28. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened a meeting of the Central Military Commission, the regime's highest military decision-making body, to emphasize “steel-like discipline” and carry out a major personnel reshuffle of senior military officials. The move appears aimed at reasserting control over the military following a recent accident during the launch ceremony of a new destroyer.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Friday that the eighth enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Military Commission was held on Wednesday at the headquarters of the ruling Workers’ Party, and was presided over by Kim Jong-un.

The meeting focused on “further strengthening the functions and roles of the political organs at all levels in the armed forces organs as required by the new stage of the developing revolution and more firmly establishing revolutionary command system and steel-like discipline system.”

The meeting also discussed “the important issues of exercising tight control and guidance so that all military and political activities of the DPRK armed forces are thoroughly conducted as required by the Party's military line” and policies of the regime.

Six corps-level commanders, the director of artillery, and the director of the military security agency were newly appointed, the report added. Some political commissars were also reassigned, though no specific names were disclosed.

One key change confirmed by state media is the demotion of Political Bureau Director Jong Kyong-taek, the top official responsible for ideological education and inspections within the military. Jong, previously a general of four-star rank, now wears the rank insignia of a colonel general of three stars.

Kim Jong-un, center, speaks during the eighth enlarged meeting of the eighth Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party at the party headquarters on May 28. [KOREAN CENTRAL NEWS AGENCY]

Photos from the Central Military Commission meeting released by the North show Jong wearing the insignia of a general. However, in images from an artillery shooting competition held the following day, he is seen wearing the insignia of a colonel general. Despite the demotion, state media continues to refer to him as director of the General Political Bureau, suggesting he remains in his post.

Kim's decision to convene the military’s top leadership body and demote the director of the General Political Bureau while reshuffling major commanders and officers is widely seen as an attempt to reinforce discipline in the ranks following the destroyer accident.

On May 21, during a ceremony attended by Kim at the Chongjin Shipyard in North Hamgyong Province, a newly launched 5,000-ton destroyer capsized and was damaged.

“By demoting the general political bureau chief, Kim Jong-un is sending a strong signal about reinforcing ideological and disciplinary control over the military,” said Oh Kyeong-seob, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification. “Holding the military accountable for the destroyer incident serves to tighten discipline and ensure the timely completion of the five-year national defense development plan.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO [[email protected]]