Purged North Korean army chief ousted for 'defying orders'(moving troops near Pyongyang)

Telegraph ^ | 07/27/12 | Martin Foster

[TigerLikesRooster]

Purged North Korean army chief ousted for 'defying orders'

North Korea's Army chief Ri Yong-ho may have been ousted for defying orders and moving troops near Pyongyang during a military exercise, South Korean intelligence sources told a major South Korean news agency.

Martin Foster, Tokyo

7:00AM BST 27 Jul 2012

The troop move drew the ire of Ri's main rivals Jang Song-taek, the uncle and guardian of leader Kim Jong-un, and Vice Marshal Choe Ryong-hae, Chosun.com reported.

While it is clear that the situation on the Korean peninsula was unstable following the death of Kim Jong-il, the news agency makes no mention of whether the troop moves may have been linked to a possible coup d’état.

“Analysis of intelligence shows Ri Yong-ho's ouster was a punitive measure taken due to his uncooperative attitude" as North Korean leader Kim Jong-un sought to tighten his grip on the military, a lawmaker quoted the National Intelligence Service as telling the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee.

Chosun.com reports that hundreds of thousands of US dollars were also discovered during a raid on Ri’s home, which also provided valuable evidence for Choe to accuse him of corruption.

North Korea's military elite controlled 70 per cent of the country's businesses that brought in foreign currency under late leader Kim Jong-il and became a state within a state, the news agency affiliated with Chosunilbo, a major South Korean newspaper said.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Based on information so far, Ri is a hard man, but lacking political guile.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[GeronL]

bump

[MetaThought]

Trying to pull a Caesar, eh? Or perhaps just an excuse.

[bruinbirdman]

"Ri is a hard man"

Sounds like he became a target for mortar practice. Or is that one getting old? He has not been seen lately?

yitbos

[Mount Athos]

I wonder if this is his new home

http://www.globalsecurity.org/intell/world/dprk/dprk-hoeryong-camp.htm

[SampleMan]

Trying to pull a Caesar, eh? Or perhaps just an excuse.

Interesting question, what qualifies as the NK Rubicon.

[Tulsa Ramjet]

“...may have been ousted for defying orders and moving troops near Pyongyang during a military exercise.”

Valkyrie.

[StAnDeliver]

"Chosun.com reports that hundreds of thousands of US dollars were also discovered during a raid on Ri’s home, which also provided valuable evidence for Choe to accuse him of corruption."

What? Couple hundred thou laying around? Yung'un keeps that much in his doghouse...

[SevenofNine]

I think somebody just went Kill Bill VOl 1 on him