Family, rivals brutally wiped out

PETALING JAYA: Shot with anti-aircraft guns, burnt by a flame-thrower and forced to walk across a live-fire mortar exercise.

These are some of the brutal ways in which family and rivals of the North Korean leader Kim Jong-un have allegedly been executed.

Topping the list is Gen Jang Song-thaek, who is Jong-un’s uncle – Song-thaek was married to the sister of Jong-un’s father Kim Jong-il.

Song-thaek’s entire family was wiped out after he was accused of trying to seize power from his nephew.

He was allegedly executed with anti-aircraft guns in December 2013, and his body burnt with a flame thrower, to ensure that “not a hair would survive”.

North Korea, in a statement, called Jang a “traitor to the nation for all ages”, “worse than a dog”, and “despicable human scum” who planned a military coup.

When Song-thaek’s wife Kim Kyong-hui protested, she was ordered to be poisoned in May 2014.

South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said that all their family members were shot dead, some in public, if they resisted while being dragged out of their apartment homes.

Among those allegedly executed were Song-thaek’s sister Jang Kye-sun, her husband and ambassador to Cuba Jon Yong-jin and Song-thaek’s nephew and ambassador to Malaysia Jang Yong-chol, as well as his two sons.

The children and grandchildren of Song-thaek’s two brothers were also allegedly killed.

Apart from family members, rivals and Jang’s allies were also executed in grisly manner, some due to flimsy transgressions such as falling asleep during a meeting or drinking.

Kim Chol, a vice-minister in the army was executed in 2012 for drinking and partying during the official mourning period for Kim Jong-il’s death.

He was reportedly forced to walk across a live-fire mortar exercise.

O Sang-hon, a deputy public security minister, who was also Song-thaek’s ally, was executed with a flame-thrower in April 2014.

Defence minister Hyong Yong-choi was also reportedly shot by anti-aircraft guns in front of a crowd of hundreds in April 2015 for falling asleep during an event, and for not carrying out instructions.

South Korean daily Joong Ang Ilbo reported that two high-ranking officials were also executed by anti-aircraft gun at a military academy in Pyongyang in August last year.

Hwang Min, a former agriculture minister, allegedly made the error of trying to propose new policies that were seen as a direct threat to Jong-un’s leadership.

Ri Yong-jin, a top official at the education ministry, on the other hand fell asleep during a meeting chaired by the North Korean leader.

Since seizing power, Jong-un has reportedly ordered at least 340 executions, with almost half being senior officials from his own government, reported Britain’s Daily Mail.