North Korea replaces defense minister in military leadership reshuffle

SEOUL, Aug. 30 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has replaced its defense minister in a reshuffle of senior military leadership, state media reported Sunday, as the country accelerates its military modernization push and tightens discipline within the ranks.

Kim Song-gi, director of the General Political Bureau of the North's Korean People's Army, was appointed as the country's new defense minister, replacing No Kwang-chol, according to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

No was removed as defense minister and from the party's central leadership and appointed first vice-director of the Munitions Industry Department of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

The reshuffle was decided at the second meeting of the ninth WPK Central Military Commission held the previous day, which was guided by leader Kim Jong-un, the report said.

In the latest reshuffle, veteran military official Pak Jong-chon was appointed vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission after being re-elected as a member of the party's Central Committee and Politburo.

Pak returned to the forefront of the North's military leadership after stepping down from the Politburo and party secretary posts and being dropped from the Central Military Commission's vice chairmanship in February. His removal at the time sparked speculation that he was stepping back from the front lines due to his age.

The vice chairmanship is a key post overseeing the North's military policies. Leader Kim Jong-un chairs the commission.

The meeting "discussed a series of structural reorganization plans for the improvement and development of the future overall defense affairs," the KCNA said.

The newly appointed commanders would "firmly arm themselves with the party's idea of building a strong army" and implement the party's military policies with "boundless devotion and extraordinarily high activity," the report said.

In a separate dispatch, KCNA reported that Kim met with scientists, researchers and officials from major defense research institutions and awarded them state commendations for their contributions to developing new combat weapon systems and improving their performance.

Calling them "the greatest patriots and heroes," Kim highly appreciated "the recent exclusive innovative military sci-tech achievements ... as a great revolution that opened up a sure prospect for radically improving the modernity of our army's combat weapon systems."

The leader expressed expectation that the science researchers "would bolster up the arms of the self-defensive power in a more overwhelming and stronger manner," the report said.