North Korea executes leader’s ‘traitor’ uncle

SEOUL, South Korea - North Korea said it executed leader Kim Jong Un’s uncle Jang Song Thaek after a military trial convicted him of trying to overthrow the regime, the most senior figure to be purged since Kim took power nearly two years ago.

The news drew concern from South Korea, the U.S. and Japan about stability in North Korea, which has conducted three nuclear tests since 2006,including one in February, and is seeking the ability to deliver nuclear warheads on a long-range missile.

“We will calmly prepare for any possibility and cooperate closely with neighboring countries,” South Korea Unification Ministry spokesman Kim Eui Do said.

Jang, who was married to Kim Jong Il’s sister Kim Kyong Hui, was a four-star general and vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, the highest seat of power in Pyongyang, before he was removed from his posts Sunday at a Politburo meeting.

Jang, who had been seen as a mentor to Kim Jong Un, was arrested on charges of factionalism and graft and was executed immediately after his trial, the official Korean Central News Agency said today, describing him as a “traitor” with a “dirty political ambition.”

Before his arrest, Jang sought foreign investment for a country that lacks hard currency, overseeing special economic zones near the border with China. North Korea’s economy has contracted in four of the past seven years, the Bank of Korea estimates, as Kim’s regime prioritized military spending.

Jang’s crimes included “overtly and covertly standing in the way of settling the issue of succession” when Kim was readying to take over from his father, longtime ruler Kim JongIl, KCNA reported.

“Despicable human scum Jang, who was worse than a dog, perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him,” the news agency said.

“If confirmed, this is another example of the extreme brutality of the North Korean regime,” U.S. State Department deputy spokesman Marie Harf said in a statement.

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Front Section, Pages 6 on 12/13/2013

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