Jang Song Thaek's Execution
Jang Song Thaek was executed in a blitzkrieg manner in less than four days after he was arrested at the Enlarged Politburo Meeting of the Cental Committee (CC) of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). The immediate response of this author to the news of his execution was, "Oh my God, it is too much."
How could Kim Jong Un execute Jang, who is none other than Kim Il Sung's son-in-law, Kim Jong Il's brother-in-law, Kim Kyong Hui's husband, and his own uncle-in-law? I even had a fleeting thought that his execution may not be true; Jang might be confined somewhere out of sight for some time. But after I read the text of the report of Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on the ruling of Jang's crimes at the special military tribunal of the State Security Department (SSD), my response was two-fold: 1)
Jang's crime might have been much more serious and substantial than we thought and Kim Jong Un's fury must have been much more fierce than we expected; and 2) the ruling was not something unfamiliar when the history of power struggles and consolidation in North Korea is taken into account. This kind of purge and deadly court ruling occurred repeatedly in the past during the Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il eras.
What is new this time, though, is that Kim Jong Un executed his uncle-in-law in such a brutal way, which reveals a certain amount of hubris and the temperament of the young leader, different from that of a seasoned, aged leader. It is clear by now that Kim Jong Un's newly-established image appears to have struck fear deep in the minds of North Koreans, invoking "forced compliance" of the people and power elite alike.
What did Kim Jong Un seek to accomplish through this dramatic but brutal showing, which took place in such a speedy way? is there any new evidence that Kim, despite the violent disturbances associated with Jang's removal and execution, will continue his current policies of expanding economic reform and opening and resuming Six Party Talks, much less the previously reported North Korea's development agency's signing of a contract with the Chinese city of Tumen on Onsong Economic Development Zone?
And how should we understand, characterize and respond to what happened in North Korea for the interests of all the parties involved?...Read on.
Source: 38north.org
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