North Korean leader promotes army generals after demotion
Pyongyang has announced the re-promotion of its downgraded senior military officials, coinciding with the 110th anniversary of the birth of North Korea's founder Kim Il-sung.
On Thursday, the North Korean Central Broadcasting Corporation said that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un issued a decision to raise the rank of military officials on this occasion.
Under the decision, the military ranks of six officers were raised to the rank of general, 3 others to the rank of colonel-general (3 stars), 16 officers to the rank of lieutenant-general (2 stars) and 70 officers to the rank of major general (1 star).
Among the high-ranking officers covered by the decision who attained the rank of general;
Kim Jong-gwan, Kim Myung-sik, Kim Kwang-hyuk, Jung Kyung-taek, O Il-jung and Kang Sun-nam.
Except for Oh Il-jung, and Kang Sun-nam, the other four had already held the rank of general before they were demoted.
The large-scale promotion came on the occasion of Kim Il-sung's birthday, which falls on April 15, apparently in an attempt to strengthen the regime's unity by raising the army's morale, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
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