Kim Jong Un reportedly ousts top 3 military leaders
Ahead of his June 12 summit with President Trump in Singapore, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has replaced his top three military leaders, a senior U.S. official told Reuters Sunday.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency first reported that the leaders were removed, and it's believed that Kim has installed younger people in those roles. Experts say that Kim is likely trying to tighten his control over the Korean People's Army; Ken Gause, director of the International Affairs Group at CNA, told Reuters that Kim's putting in people who are "loyal to Kim Jong Un and no one else."
The United States wants North Korea to completely end its nuclear weapons program, and some analysts speculate that factions of the North Korean military do not like how Kim is dealing with the U.S. and South Korea. Kim could also be preparing for more economic aid to come into the country, and he'll want the military to participate in infrastructure projects.
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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.
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