Al Jazeera reports that Ri Yong-ho, North Korea’s military chief and a member of Kim Jong-un’s inner circle, has been relieved of his duties due to illness. State media said that “[a] meeting of the political bureau of the central committee of the workers’ party decided to relieve Ri Yong-ho of all his posts,” which include the position of “vice-chairman of the central military commission of the [Workers’ Party of Korea].”
International observers, including South Korean officials, noted surprise at the announcement. John Delury, who works at Yonsei University’s Graduate School of International Studies in Seoul, said, “This is the first major reshuffle. Whether it’s through illness or not, we’d have to wait and see.”
