The brutal North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has allegedly killed another senior official, bringing the number of recent high-level executions to three.
Kim Yong Jin, North Korea’s vice premier for education, was brought before a firing squad and executed, South Korea’s Unification Ministry spokesperson Jeong Joon-hee revealed Wednesday.
Kim Jong Un also reportedly rebuked two other senior officials, head of North Korea’s United Front Department Kim Yong Chol and senior Propaganda and Agitation Department official Choe Hwi.
Kim Yong Jin was executed for having a “bad attitude,” reports CNN. The state government branded him an “anti-party and a counter-revolutionary member” for failing to maintain proper posture during a public event.
Kim Yong Chol and Choe Hwi escaped execution; however, they both received “revolutionary punishments” and were sent to the country for re-education training through hard labor. The former was punished for having an “overbearing manner.” The reason for the latter’s punishment is unknown.
Both of these officials are expected to return to their posts following the completion of their re-education training.
If reports of Kim Yong Jin’s execution are accurate, it could signal that Kim Jong Un is taking a tougher stance on those at the top of his fragile authoritarian regime. This is likely a response to insecurity and instability within the regime caused by recent high-level defections.
News of Kim Yong Jin’s execution follows reports that Kim Jong Un recently killed two high-ranking officials with an anti-aircraft gun. One was killed for falling asleep during a meeting with the young dictator, and the other was executed for promoting policies which threatened Kim Jong Un’s power.
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