North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has fired his top general as part of a shakeup of the country’s military leadership, according to state media reports on Thursday. The state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced that Gen. Pak Su Il has been dismissed as chief of the General Staff and Vice Marshal Ri Yong Gil has been appointed in his place. The report also mentioned that other “leading commanding officers” were either dismissed, transferred, or appointed during a meeting of the Central Military Commission.
North Korea frequently reshuffles its military leadership, with some leaders reemerging in different positions and others disappearing from public view. The career of the new top general, Ri Yong Gil, reflects this pattern, as he was promoted to the No. 2 job in the North Korean military hierarchy just last December. Analysts believe that Kim Jong Un may be rotating leadership posts to prevent any individual from becoming too powerful.
The shakeup of the military leadership was mentioned towards the end of the KCNA report, which primarily focused on the need for the army to “gird for a war.” The report stated that the current political and military situation in the Korean Peninsula requires the army to have a more proactive and willful attitude and be thoroughly prepared for war. While South Korea and the United States were not mentioned by name in the report, it appeared to refer to them as the “chief culprits of deteriorated situation” on the peninsula.
North Korea has been increasing its military rhetoric in recent months, threatening to shoot down US reconnaissance planes and retaliate for the port call of a US nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine to South Korea. The country has also showcased its advances in ballistic missile technology, including an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with the potential to strike the US mainland. In response to the tension, South Korea has announced a nationwide civil defense drill to be held on August 23, where residents will practice evacuating to shelters or underground safe spaces.