NORTH KOREA: PURGE OF JANG SONG THAEK ASSOCIATES CONTINUES

The purge of Jang Song Thaek associates has reportedly continued with the execution of a senior Central Administrative Department official in North Korea’s ruling party, a Japanese news agency reported.
Choe Byung Hee, a division chief at the Central Administrative Department of the Workers’ Party of Korea, has been shot to death following the execution of Jang Song Thaek’s associates Ri Yong Ha and Jang Soo Kil from the same department, the Asia Press agency reported, quoting a local government official in the northern Ryanggang province of North Korea.
According to Asia Press, the local government official has received from the headquarters of the Workers’ Party of Korea a “name list of elimination” showing the names of Jang associates who have been purged and executed. Choe’s name was reportedly on the list.
Asia Press said it remained unclear when Choe was executed, but said “there is no doubt this is part of the cleanup of Jang’s associates inside his Central Administrative Department human network.”
The news agency also said about 3,000 people seen as associates of Jang have been sent to the remote mountain areas of Ryanggang Province from Pyongyang and other places.