North Korea marks anniversary without Kim Jong Un's aunt

North Koreans offer flowers to bronze statues (not pictured) of North Korea's late founder Kim Il Sung and late leader Kim Jong Il at Mansudae in Pyongyang, in this picture taken and provided by Kyodo December 17, 2013, to mark the second death anniversary of Kim Jong Il. Mandatory credit REUTERS/Kyodo

SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's aunt was absent from a state memorial ceremony on Tuesday raising questions about her influence days after her husband, also a top state official, was executed.

The purging and execution of Jang Song Thaek on Friday was the biggest upheaval in years in North Korea, which has conducted three nuclear tests and this year raised the possibility of nuclear war with South Korea and the United States.