Kim Jong-un's Barbaric Purge of 'Unsound' Military Brass

[dead0man]

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A bloody purge in North Korea following the sudden death of leader Kim Jong-il late last year saw barbaric methods including mortar rounds used to execute high-ranking military officials, a South Korean government source said Wednesday.

"When Kim Jong-un became North Korean leader following the mourning period for his father in late December, high-ranking military officers started disappearing," the source said. "From information compiled over the last month, we have concluded that dozens of military officers were purged." The source added Kim Jong-un ordered loyal officials to "get rid of" anyone caught misbehaving during the mourning period for Kim Jong-il.

But contrary to reports that an assistant chief of the Ministry of the People's Armed Forces was put in front of a firing squad for being drunk during the mourning period, he was executed using a mortar round in line with Kim's orders to leave "no trace of him behind, down to his hair."

The source said the official was placed on the spot where the round would hit, and the grisly execution obliterated him.

Besides the assistant chief and an assistant chief of the General Staff Department, frontline commanders were also executed, the source said.

Kim Jong-il also purged dissenters after the death of his father Kim Il-sung in 1994. Even those caught for minor infractions were executed by a firing squad.

But Kim Jong-un's methods appear even more brutal. A source familiar with North Korea said, "It appears that the loyalty pledged by the military did not satisfy the young leader, who is sensitive about his age." Kim junior is 28 or 29.

The source said the drastic measures may have been proposed by Kim's confidant Kim Jong-gak (62), the first deputy director of the General Political Bureau of the North Korean People's Army.

[Joe Republic]

The trials of the new forum moderation infraction system have been progressing well.

[Jacobtm]

So killing people with bombs is barbaric dead0? I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

It's funny what you get excited over. Israel or The United States killing dozens of civilians with explosives isn't a big deal, but 1 North Korean official killed by an explosive is...

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

So killing people with bombs is barbaric dead0? I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

It's funny what you get excited over. Israel or The United States killing dozens of civilians with explosives isn't a big deal, but 1 North Korean official killed by an explosive is...

I think the point is that they were for the purposes of execution rather than warfare. It's certainly not the conventional way for killing someone.

That said, it appears that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Dear Successor may be every bit as crazy as his father was.

[Ghyl Tarvoke]

So killing people with bombs is barbaric dead0? I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

It's funny what you get excited over. Israel or The United States killing dozens of civilians with explosives isn't a big deal, but 1 North Korean official killed by an explosive is...

I think the point is that they were for the purposes of execution rather than warfare. It's certainly not the conventional way for killing someone.

That said, it appears that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Dear Successor may be every bit as crazy as his father was.

Actually, from the perspective of the Kims what they are doing is very rational, nothing really crazy about it. If it was, it would be unique. But this is quite normal for such states.

[IDS Judicial Overlord John Dibble]

So killing people with bombs is barbaric dead0? I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

It's funny what you get excited over. Israel or The United States killing dozens of civilians with explosives isn't a big deal, but 1 North Korean official killed by an explosive is...

I think the point is that they were for the purposes of execution rather than warfare. It's certainly not the conventional way for killing someone.

That said, it appears that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Dear Successor may be every bit as crazy as his father was.

Actually, from the perspective of the Kims what they are doing is very rational, nothing really crazy about it. If it was, it would be unique. But this is quite normal for such states.

I'm very well aware that megalomaniacs don't necessarily think their own behavior is odd. That doesn't mean it isn't odd or even crazy to the rest of us.

[Vasall des Midas]

The trials of the new forum moderation infraction system have been progressing well.

Yep. Reformers with results, the mod team are!

Oh, also

I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

Not that that absolves their murderer of guilt, of course, but these people knew what to expect.

[Lief]

Not really sure what makes being blown up by a mortar any worse than being shot. If anything the mortar is probably quicker and less painful.

[Vasall des Midas]

If anything the mortar is probably quicker and less painful.

A point blank shot to the dead is one of the quickest and least painful ways to go. An explosion... well right at the center it's probably quite quick and painless as well, but there's a lot of factors to consider.

[dead0man]

So killing people with bombs is barbaric dead0? I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

It's funny what you get excited over. Israel or The United States killing dozens of civilians with explosives isn't a big deal, but 1 North Korean official killed by an explosive is...

Dude, I didn't write the title.  Calm down.  I'm not "mourning the loss of N. Korean military brass".

[London Man]

If anything the mortar is probably quicker and less painful.

A point blank shot to the dead is one of the quickest and least painful ways to go. An explosion... well right at the center it's probably quite quick and painless as well, but there's a lot of factors to consider.

Yes, like the chance of it actually hitting you exactly. If it doesn't, it's a nasty way to go.

[Ghyl Tarvoke]

So killing people with bombs is barbaric dead0? I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

It's funny what you get excited over. Israel or The United States killing dozens of civilians with explosives isn't a big deal, but 1 North Korean official killed by an explosive is...

I think the point is that they were for the purposes of execution rather than warfare. It's certainly not the conventional way for killing someone.

That said, it appears that the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree. Dear Successor may be every bit as crazy as his father was.

Actually, from the perspective of the Kims what they are doing is very rational, nothing really crazy about it. If it was, it would be unique. But this is quite normal for such states.

I'm very well aware that megalomaniacs don't necessarily think their own behavior is odd. That doesn't mean it isn't odd or even crazy to the rest of us.

But it's not crazy, it can be easily reasoned to given the system they are in. Which of course does not diminish responisibility..

[The Mikado]

I'd take firing squad (actually, probably the easiest way to go out of major execution methods) over being blown up by a mortar any day.

That said, military purges in N. Korea are only vaguely newsworthy at this point.  It's to be expected.  Frankly, the macabre execution method is messy but at the same time is still far superior to traditional methods like hanging or electrocution.

[Proud Lieberal from Northeast]

I'd take firing squad (actually, probably the easiest way to go out of major execution methods) over being blown up by a mortar any day.

That said, military purges in N. Korea are only vaguely newsworthy at this point.  It's to be expected.  Frankly, the macabre execution method is messy but at the same time is still far superior to traditional methods like hanging or electrocution.

Or even the lethal injection, considering a huge number of botched executions. It's basically a lottery, just like it was with the Old Sparky.

It's kind of ironic that "barbaric" method used "bad counties" (shooting) is, in fact, more humane than "humane" method, used by the U.S.

Of course, on the other hand, one would not be executed in the U.S. for being drunk during a period of mourning or similar offence.

In other words: if I were to face a capital trial, I'd, of course, prefer to stand one in the U.S., rather than, let's say, Belarus.

But, if I were to be executed, I'd rather be executed by shooting in Belarus, rather than play lethal injection lottery.

[Vosem]

So killing people with bombs is barbaric dead0? I can't really see the justification for mourning the loss of North Korean military brass.

It's funny what you get excited over. Israel or The United States killing dozens of civilians with explosives isn't a big deal, but 1 North Korean official killed by an explosive is...

Israel and the United States "killing dozens of civilians with explosives", as you phrase it, has, throughout history, almost always been a good thing. So, I have to say, would be a large-scale purge of the North Korean government (though if it trickles down to the average North Korean a la the Yezhovshchina, that would obviously not be a very positive development).

[Jacobtm]

Israel and the United States "killing dozens of civilians with explosives", as you phrase it, has, throughout history, almost always been a good thing.

So you support war crimes. Unsurprising.

[dead0man]

"White people ruin everything" was a better sig.