Restructuring of the armed forces and change of defense minister in North Korea

According to an official statement, during Saturday's meeting of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, plans for a large-scale restructuring of the armed forces were discussed. The aim of the changes is to improve the efficiency and development of the country's future defense activities. The new commanders are to be - as it was emphasized - "strongly armed with the party ideology."

Who is the new defense minister?

Kim Song Gi, former director of the Army's Main Political Bureau, became the new defense minister. He replaced No Kwang Chol, who took the position of first deputy director in the Department of Arms Industry. This sector is responsible for the production of ammunition and the development of military technologies in North Korea.

As part of the reshuffle, Pak Jong Chon also returned to the top leadership. He again took up the position of vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, and was also elected to the Politburo and the Central Committee of the party.

Is a corruption scandal a cause of change?

As the South Korean Yonhap agency notes, the current changes are part of Pyongyang's strategy, which assumes modernization of the armed forces and strengthening military discipline. In turn, the Japanese Kyodo agency cites speculations in the South Korean media, according to which the dismissal of the previous defense minister may be related to the corruption scandal revealed in July. However, the fact that No Kwang Chol was given a key role in the arms industry suggests that he was not completely removed from power.