Seoul: 2 top North Korean military officers punished

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Seoul: 2 top North Korean military officers punished

2017-11-21 13:18 Last Updated At：13:18

South Korea's spy agency told lawmakers Monday that North Korea has punished two of its top military officers, including one widely seen as its second-most powerful official, during a highly unusual inspection of the military's powerful political bureau.

According to a lawmaker who attended the closed-door briefing by the National Intelligence Service, it said the inspection of the North Korean military's General Political Bureau was the first of its kind in 20 years and occurred because of its "impure" attitude, which it did not describe.

The spy agency said it obtained intelligence that the head of the bureau, Vice Marshal Hwang Pyong So, his top deputy, Kim Wong Hong, and other officers were punished, according to the lawmaker, Kim Byung-kee.

Hwang's position as the military's top political officer made him North Korea's second most powerful official after leader Kim Jong Un, according to many South Korean analysts. If he were to be removed, it could lead to a major shift in North Korea's secretive hierarchy of power.

It was unclear whether Hwang was verbally reprimanded, dismissed or banished to a rural area. The spy agency, which has a spotty record in reporting developments in North Korea, said it couldn't publicly confirm Kim's account of the briefing.

The report came as North Korea is struggling to head off international sanctions that were toughened after its sixth and biggest nuclear test in September.

Since taking office in late 2011, Kim Jong Un has orchestrated a series of high-profile purges, dismissals and executions in what foreign experts say is an attempt to bolster his grip on power and remove anyone seen as a challenge to his leadership.

Hwang was last mentioned in a North Korean state media dispatch on Oct. 13 that reported his attendance at an event marking the anniversary of a revolutionary school.

Kim Won Hong once headed North Korea's state security ministry, and the South Korean government said in February that he had been fired from that post, presumably because of corruption, abuse of power and torture committed by his ministry.

The South Korean spy agency told the lawmakers that the North Korean investigation of the military political bureau is continuing, and is spearheaded by senior Workers' Party official Choe Ryong Hae, who was the military's top political officer before Hwang.

South Korea's parliament approves independent investigation of the devastating 2022 Halloween crush

2024-05-02 17:54 Last Updated At：18:00

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s parliament on Thursday approved special legislation mandating a new, independent investigation into the 2022 Halloween crush in Seoul that killed 159 people.

The single-chamber National Assembly passed the bill by a 256-0 vote. It will become law after it is signed by conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol and promulgated by his government agency — steps that are considered formalities because the president and his ruling party already agreed on the legislation.

The bill is meant to delve into the root cause of the crush, and look at how authorities handled the disaster and who should be blamed for it. It envisages the creation of a fact-finding committee with nine members that would independently examine the disaster for up to 15 months.

Once the committee determines who is responsible and who should face charges, it would report them to the government's investigation agencies. The agencies would then be required to conclude investigations of the suspects within three months, according to the bill.

The crush, one of the biggest peacetime disasters in South Korea, caused a nationwide outpouring of grief. The victims, who were mostly in their 20s and 30s, had gathered in Seoul's popular nightlife district of Itaewon for Halloween celebrations.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, there was also anger that the government had again ignored safety and regulatory issues despite the lessons learned since the 2014 sinking of the ferry Sewol, which killed 304 people — mostly teenagers on a school trip.

In early 2023, a police special investigation concluded that police and municipal officials failed to formulate effective crowd control steps, despite correctly anticipating a huge number of people in Itaewon. At the time, investigators said police had also ignored hotline calls by pedestrians who warned of swelling crowds before the surge turned deadly.

More than 20 police and other officials have been on trial over the disaster but few top-level officials have been charged or held accountable, prompting bereaved families and opposition lawmakers to call for an independent probe.

Ahead of the vote, Kim Kyo-heung from the main liberal opposition Democratic Party and chairman of parliament’s safety committee expressed hope the probe would determine responsibility for the disaster and structural problems behind the crush, as well as formulate steps to prevent similar disasters.

Families of the victims welcomed the bill while rallying outside the National Assembly.

“I think today is indeed the most memorable day for our bereaved families,” said Lee Jeong-min, a representative for the families. “It wasn't possible without the support of opposition lawmakers and many citizens who have sympathized with us. I'd like to say we really thank them.”

President Yoon had previously opposed a new investigation of the disaster. In January, he vetoed a similar bill for an independent investigation of the Itaewon crush that had passed through parliament.

However, during a meeting with Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung Monday, he said he wouldn't oppose it, should some existing disputes be resolved, such as whether the fact-finding committee can request arrest warrants.

A shift in Yoon's position came as he faces growing public calls to cooperate with Lee's party, which scored a massive win in the April 10 parliamentary election, extending its control of parliament for another four years.

In a meeting with Yoon's ruling People Power Party on Wednesday, Lee's party agreed to remove contentious clauses from the draft bill.

The Democratic Party's chief policymaker, Jin Sung-joon, said the party had accepted demands by the president and his ruling party in the interest of the "bereaved families, who said they can't wait any longer.”