Kim Jong-un’s Uncle Purged and Executed, Chinese Reactions

The recent fall and execution of Jang Song-taek (alternatively Jang Song-thaek) received widespread media attention in China, to the point where special, dedicated sections on major news web portals like NetEase were featured. Jang was widely seen as second only to North Korea’s “Supreme Leader”, and possibly the man who ran North Korea when Kim Jong-il died until son Kim Jong-un took over.

From NetEase:

South Korea Claims Kim Jong-un’s Uncle, Jang Sung-taek, May Have Been Purged

Yonhap News Agency, Seoul, December 3 reports — According to the National Intelligence Service [NIS], the uncle-in-law of North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un and Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission Jang Sung-taek is suspected to have fallen. Jeong Cheong-rae, a representative of [South Korea’s] largest opposition party, the United New Democratic Party, told Yonhap News Agency journalists that the NIS had revealed that day that two trusted aides of Jang Sung-taek had been publicly executed in the middle of November, that Jang Sung-taek has not made any public appearances since, and very likely has already been ousted.

From NetEase:

Jang Sung-taek Profile

Born 1946 February 6, son-in-law of original North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Il-sung, brother-in-law of Kim Jong-il, uncle of the present North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un.

1972 April, Jang Sung-taek married Kim Kyong-hui, the only sister of Kim Jong-il.

1982 October, appointed Vice Chief of the Worker’s Party of Korea Central Youth Division, becoming Chief in 1998 December.

1992 December, elected to be member of the Workers’ Party Central Committee

2007 October, appointed Chief of the Workers’ Party Central Administration Department

2010 June, elected Vice Chairman of National Defence Commission.

Comments from NetEase:

屠龙术：

The deposing of regents has been common since ancient times, a common drama in the inner power struggles of court.

送子和尚：

Jang Sung-taek, the bravest man in North Korea, these are his glorious conquests: Fucked the daughter of Fatty the First [Kim Il-sung]. Laid the younger sister of Fatty the Second [Kim Jong-il]. Fucked Fatty the Third’s aunt. You did not waste your life, and can wear a smile on your face in hell [the afterlife].

网文随说：

After all the branches had been scrapped off, all that’s left is a single trunk [may also be a pun on “bachelor”]

wangqiang73：

Starting with the uncle in the dissolution of the family business [dynasty]. Taking a different road [for the future]. Young man [Kim Jong-un], I have high hopes for you.

网易浙江省湖州市手机网友：

Couldn’t even outmaneuver Fatty III?

From NetEase:

Photos of Kim Jong-un’s Uncle Jang Sung-taek Being Arrested Exposed

According to news from the North Korean Central News Agency on December 9, North Korea issued on December 8 a communiqué of the enlarged meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of Workers’ Party of North Korea [WPK]. On December 9, North Korea’s Chosun Central Television made public photos of former Vice Chairman of the National Defence Commission Jang Song-thaek being arrested. “Radio Free Chosun”, citing senior high-ranking officials in Pyongyang, reported that Jang Sung-taek and 6 associates had already been executed last Thursday and the broadcasted photos were taken before the meeting was held on Sunday. Meanwhile, Yonhap News Agency in South Korea reported that the NIS had no information on officials being executed.

Comments from NetEase:

1個好朋友：

There are only eternal interests, not eternal uncles, much less “brothers in arms”~

中國夢我去年買了個表：

Not strange, Fatty the Third even sent people to assassinate his own elder brother, to say nothing of an uncle without blood relation. The people of North Korean struggle on the edge of death, but Fatty the Third lives in extravagance, an utter beast!

烂蓝：

Fatty the Third’s fat body is because a smaller body could no not contain the universal truths the fill Fatty the Third.

烂蓝：

There will be constantly be Jang Sung-taek, Lee Sung-taek, Zhao Sung-taek???

桎梏至墓：

Power destroys people’s humanity. Anyone in the face of someone of an even higher power is no better than a dog. In a society of totalitarian dictatorship, no one has a sense of security!

From NetEase:

South Korean Intelligence Agency: Jang Sung-taek Arrested by Kim Jong-un’s Second Elder Brother

Xinhuanet December 11 report — After the North Korean Central News Agency’s high-profile confirmation that Jang Sung-taek has been purged by Kim Jong-un, an atmosphere of tension and conjecture hangs over the Korean peninsula, with details about Jang Sung-taek’s fate and the impact of the affair constantly coming out. Just how did a powerful mogul like Jang Sung-taek allow himself to be seized without putting up a fight?

According to Lee Youn-gel, representative of the South Korean Strategic Intelligence Service Center: In fact, even Kim Jong-un’s favored Director of the Central Military Commission Choe Ryong-hae would not have dared to arrest Jang Sung-taek and the Ministry of State Security was unable to interfere either. In the end it was Kim Jong-un’s second elder brother, Kim Jong-chul, who led the guards of the Guard Command and had Jang Sung-taek arrested.

What more, the execution of Jang Sung-taek loyalists, First Vice Director of the Central Administration Department Lee Yong-ha [alternatively Ri Ryong-ha] and Vice Director Jang Soo-kee [alternatively Jang Soo-kil], in the prison of the Guard Command, was also commanded by Kim Jong-chul; that Kim Jong-chul personally led the guards of the Guard Command and Ministry of State Security and captured these people as a herald.

Earlier in April of this year, Japanese media exposed that Kim Jong-chul had been promoted to the leader of a secret organization of North Korean princelings. It seems Kim Jong-un no longer has anyone he can really trust among the high-level officials in Pyongyang and today’s confidants may very well become tomorrow’s enemy. That’s why he had his own brother perform the task of execution.

As a result, people must be feeling jittery in North Korea. It is said that those close to Jang Sung-taek and fear being implicated are one after another fleeing out of the country. South Korean media reported that an important trusted aide who may have been in charge of Jang Sung-taek’s finances has already requested political asylum from South Korea and may presently be temporarily staying in a secret location under protection by South Korean diplomatic officials.

The bloody internal power struggles and political unrest in Pyongyang might also affect neighboring countries. South Korea has already gone into full-alert. For China, although the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry said during a press conference on December 9th that the Jang Sung-taek affair was an internal matter of North Korea, the Chinese military is said to have significantly heightened its state of alert on the Sino-Korean border, to guard against any impact on the stability of China’s borders owing to any regime changes triggered by repeated purges by Kim Jong-un.

Comments from NetEase:

刺刀34：

The sudden change of attitudes [falling out between people] is so merciless that you could lose your life at any time. No matter how loyal a slave is, it may just be a different road to the same ending.

网易江苏省常州市网友：

Second elder brother, in a few years, it’ll be your turn!

mdjswc：

With such bloody purges, your own end may probably lies ahead! When even your own uncle cannot escape being purged, on whom can you depend? As the old saying goes: One cannot afford to incur the wrath of the public! Kim Jong-un’s own end may be even more miserable!

山寨临时工：

The Kims are nearing their end.

胡原0：

It won’t take long before a ferocious battle takes place between Kim Jong-un and his second elder brother Kim Jong-chul. Just wait and see!

Comments from Phoenix Online:

凤凰网湖北省网友：已是桑田

Even brothers have differences some time. Let’s just quietly wait for the coming of that day.

凤凰网北京市网友：darkgrey

The ordinary common people of North Korea have seen hope. The great universal commander-in-chief is going to unify the whole world.

From NetEase:

Jang Sung-taek Sentenced to Death and Immediately Executed Yesterday in North Korea

CCTV News: Kim Jong-un’s Uncle Jang Sung-taek Sentenced to Death, Immediately Executed — According to North Korea’s Central News Agency, the North Korean Ministry of State Security held a special military tribunal for Jang Sung-taek on the 12th. The tribunal convicted Jang Sung-taek of being ideologically in league with enemies, that his plot to overthrow the North Korean people’s sovereignty and behavior to subvert the country constituted a crime in Article 60 of North Korean Criminal Law. He himself made a full confession of his criminal behaviors, was sentenced to death and executed immediately. (CCTV journalist: Zhao Shuguang)

Comments from Sina Weibo:

小柯爱跑步：

Truly ruthless. Never mind having a the defense of a lawyer, there wasn’t even a second trial [chance to appeal].

不想做的不做：

There a downright tyrant was born.

WEfans_郭恒源：

Hehe~ White and black, isn’t it all decided by yourself?

何依倪：

I ultimately feel he was wronged, just like in the Cultural Revolution.

有感情的飞：

I don’t know if it is “the people’s” sovereignty or “Kim xx’s” sovereignty.

0度蔚蓝泉：

North Korea is too terrifying…..

巨蟹Nicolai：

Sigh, how similar! In such a country, even the second-in-command doesn’t know if he’ll survive to tomorrow, where he can be an honorable guest yesterday and suddenly a prisoner in the blink of an eye, let alone the ordinary citizens.