New report says in 5 years, Kim Jong Un has executed 340 people


Since coming to power in 2011, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has ordered the executions of 340 people, a South Korean think tank says.
In a new report released Thursday, the Institute for National Security Strategy goes into detail about the purge that has been taking place over the past five years. Hawaii Pacific University professor Seung-Kyun Ko told CNN that Kim Jong Un is "a bit extreme" when it comes to perceived threats because as the son of the late Kim Jong Il, he was "spoiled," and "the major danger is there is no one in his leadership circle to restrain him." Of the 340 people killed, 140 were senior officers in the ruling Korean Worker's Party, which runs the country's government and military.
In five years, Kim has "purged" his defense minister five times, Bruce Bennett of the RAND Corporation told CNN, while his father only appointed a new defense minister three times in 17 years, "and two of those changes were because [they] died of old age." Earlier this year, the top education official in North Korea, Kim Yong Jin, was executed by a firing squad after being accused of having a "bad attitude," and in 2013, North Korean state media reported that Kim Jong Un's uncle was executed following an attempt to overthrow the government. In May 2015, Defense Minister Hyong Yong Choi was killed with an anti-aircraft gun in front of an audience, including members of his own family.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
'People first. Then money. Then things'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
How will the Myanmar earthquake affect the nation's military junta?
Today's Big Question More than 2,700 people have reportedly died from the earthquake
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Max Allan Collins’ 6 favorite books that feature private detectives
Feature The mystery writer recommends works by Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats Thurmond
Speed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione
Speed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seat
Speed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump 'not joking' about unconstitutional 3rd term
Speed Read The president seems to be serious about seeking a third term in 2028
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
The JFK files: the truth at last?
In The Spotlight More than 64,000 previously classified documents relating the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy have been released by the Trump administration
By The Week Staff Published
-
Supreme Court upholds 'ghost gun' restrictions
Speed Read Ghost guns can be regulated like other firearms
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published