SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s top military official, who was a chief mentor to the North’s new leader, has been removed from all his posts because of illness, the North’s state media said Monday.
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The decision to relieve the official, Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho, of his duties was made at a Workers’ Party meeting on Sunday, according to the North’s official Korea Central News Agency. It was not immediately clear who would replace him, and the report did not elaborate on his condition or future.
Vice Marshal Ri was the military’s General Staff chief, as well as a top figure in the Workers’ Party.
He has been at the side of the new North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, since Mr. Kim emerged as the successor to his father, Kim Jong-il, and often stood between father and son at major events. That role appeared to deepen after Kim Jong-il died in December, as he helped Kim Jong-un to solidify support among the military.
Vice Marshal Ri wielded power from his position at the intersection of three crucial institutions: the Korean People’s Army, the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party and the Standing Committee of the party’s Political Bureau.
[h=4]Connect With Us on Twitter[/h] Follow @nytimesworld for international breaking news and headlines.
Twitter List: Reporters and Editors
The decision to relieve the official, Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho, of his duties was made at a Workers’ Party meeting on Sunday, according to the North’s official Korea Central News Agency. It was not immediately clear who would replace him, and the report did not elaborate on his condition or future.
Vice Marshal Ri was the military’s General Staff chief, as well as a top figure in the Workers’ Party.
He has been at the side of the new North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, since Mr. Kim emerged as the successor to his father, Kim Jong-il, and often stood between father and son at major events. That role appeared to deepen after Kim Jong-il died in December, as he helped Kim Jong-un to solidify support among the military.
Vice Marshal Ri wielded power from his position at the intersection of three crucial institutions: the Korean People’s Army, the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers’ Party and the Standing Committee of the party’s Political Bureau.