(ANTIMEDIA) South Korean media has reported that two top-level officials within the North Korean government were publicly executed earlier this month at a military academy in Pyongyang. They were allegedly killed by their own government because they were a threat to “Dear Respected Comrade” Kim Jong-un.
According to the daily newspaper JoongAng Ilbo, anti-gun aircraft was used to kill both the senior official at the education ministry, Ri Yong-in, and former agricultural minister Hwang Min. An unidentified source “with special knowledge of North Korea” told JoongAng Ilbo, “I have the information that ministers of agriculture and education were publicly executed on a special order from Kim Jong-un.”
The report claims Ri was murdered for falling asleep during a meeting chaired by the North Korean leader, much like the brutal execution by firing squad of Hyon Yong-chol, former defense chief. Hyon was killed for treason after falling asleep at a military rally Kim Jong-un attended.
Hwang Min is said to have been targeted by the North Korean tyrant for his recent policy proposals, the details of which have not been provided. According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the English version of JoongAng Ilbo,“‘One of the executed is Hwang Min, a former agricultural minister,’ said the source. ‘I understand he was executed because policy proposals he had pushed for were seen as a direct challenge to the Kim Jong-un leadership.’”
The Korea JoongAng Daily report continued:
“If the report is true, it would mark the first execution ordered by Kim Jong-un from outside the Workers’ Party and military.
“The report may be interpreted as a new reign of terror in North Korea prompted by a series of defections by senior officials that has rekindled talk of instability and disunity among the North Korean elite.”
It’s no secret that North Korea is home to one of the most brutal regimes in the world. This is a horrific reminder to be grateful for and to defend the freedom we still have while doing everything we can to take back the rights already stripped away — to ensure that what is happening in North Korea never happens here.
This article (Kim Jong-un Used an Anti-Aircraft Gun to Execute Someone for Sleeping in Meeting: Report) is free and open source. You have permission to republish this article under a Creative Commons license with attribution to Josie Wales and theAntiMedia.org. Anti-Media Radio airs weeknights at 11 pm Eastern/8 pm Pacific. If you spot a typo, please email the error and name of the article to edits@theantimedia.org.