North Korean House of Cards

Image 31: Jo Kyong-chol making a speech at the second meeting of security personnel of the KPA.
Image 32: Kim Jong-un at the second meeting of security personnel of the KPA.
He is accompanied by Jo Kyong-chol (1), Kim Won-hong (2), and Hwang Pyong-so (3).
On December 9, 2013, North Korean media revealed the purge that captured
the world’s attention. 523 Korean Central Television (KCTV) ran footage of the special
meeting of the Politburo in which Jang Song-taek was removed from all of his
posts. As Kim Jong-un and other members of the leadership watched, two members
523 Yi Ji-Seon, “Kim Jong Un’s ‘Samjiyon Aides’ In The Spotlight As The Rising Stars In North
Korean Politics,” The Kyunghyang Shinmun, December 12, 2013. The final decision regarding Jang Songtaek’s
fate was reportedly made during Kim Jong-un’s visit in early December 2013 to Samjiyeon, which
overlooks Paektu Mountain. He was accompanied on the visit by a number of key leaders within the
regime, including Kim Won-hong and Hwang Pyong-so. These aides have since been referred to as the
“Samjiyeon aides.”
Ken E. Gause
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