N. Korea announces military shake-up

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead, ADDS detail on new chiefs, analyst view)
By Kim Hyun
SEOUL, Feb. 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-il named new military
chiefs on Wednesday, the country's state-run media said, in an
earlier-than-expected shake-up ahead of parliamentary elections amid heightened
tension with South Korea.
Seoul analysts have largely forecast that Pyongyang may reshuffle its military
after its parliamentary vote on March 8 and before the founding anniversary of
the Korean People's Army on April 25.
It is unusual for North Korea to announce military shake-ups.
In a brief report, the Korean Central News Agency said Vice Marshal of the Korean
People's Army Kim Yong-chun was appointed as minister of the People's Armed
Forces of the National Defence Commission. The position is thought to be
equivalent to defense minister.
Kim Yong-chun, 73, is believed to be one of the closest aides to the North Korean
leader. He graduated from Kim Il Sung Military University in Pyongyang and the
Frunze Military Academy of the Soviet Union, according to data from Seoul's
unification ministry. He has served as vice marshal since 2007.
The report also said the leader promoted Korean People's Army General Ri Yong-ho
as chief of the KPA General Staff, equivalent to South Korea's chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Little is known about Ri except that he once served as chief of Pyongyang Defence
Command.
The report did not say why the reshuffle was conducted.
The reshuffle came as North Korea prepares to hold its long-overdue parliamentary
elections on March 8. Pyongyang bypassed the vote last August, when lawmakers'
five-year terms ended amid rumors that Kim had suffered a stroke. The January
scheduling of the vote appeared to be a sign of Pyongyang returning to normal,
with Kim back in control.
A new assembly reappoints leader Kim as chairman of the National Defense
Commission, the backbone of the North's 1.1 million-strong army. His
reappointment is usually followed by military and Cabinet reshuffles.
Baek Seung-joo, a North Korea specialist with a state-run think tank, the Korea
Institute for Defense Analyses, said the shakeup could be a preparation for the
post-Kim Jong-il era. But it was not clear why Pyongyang conducted the reshuffle
at this sensitive time.
Military tension along the inter-Korean border has been high in recent weeks,
with North Korea threatening military clashes and declaring a 1991 non-aggression
accord void. Intelligence sources say North Korea appears to be preparing to
test-launch a long-range missile. With such coercive moves, analysts say
Pyongyang is trying to pressure Seoul into dropping its hard-line policy while
drawing the attention of the new U.S. government.
"The North could be sorting out its power elite. It could also be part of
preparations for the post-Kim Jong-il era," Baek said.
Kim turns 67 on Tuesday next week. Speculation has mounted over whom he will name
as his successor, likely one of his three sons.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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