North Korea announces new top military leaders(w/ extensive combat unit experience)

Channel News Asia ^ | 02/11/09

[TigerLikesRooster]

North Korea announces new top military leaders

Date : 11 February 2009 2022 hrs (SST)

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/408356/1/.html

SEOUL: North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il announced new chiefs for the communist nation's military on Wednesday in a reshuffle ahead of parliamentary elections next month.

"Vice Marshal of the Korean People's Army Kim Yong-Chun was appointed as minister of the People's Armed Forces of the National Defence Commission of the DPRK (North Korea)," the Korean Central News Agency said.

General Ri Yong-Ho becomes chief of the army General Staff, the brief report added.

The National Defence Commission, chaired by Kim Jong-Il since 1998, is the country's most powerful body and supervises its 1.1-million-member armed forces.

Kim Yong-Chun has since April 2007 been one of three vice-chairmen of the commission. He is seen as close to leader Kim and has accompanied him on many visits, including a trip to China in 2004.

North Korea usually announces a shake-up of its military and cabinet after parliamentary elections, which are set this year for March 8.

The North failed to hold the parliamentary election last August amid reports that leader Kim had suffered a stroke that month.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Infos from local S. Korean press:

Vice Marshall Kim Yong-choon: Served as a commander of frontline army corps. Known to be intimately involved in N. Korea's nuclear test of 2006. Said to be close to Jang Sung-taek, Kim Jong-il's brother-in-law, who is running day-to-day government operations these days. Opinions vary on whom he likes to back as Kim Jong-il's successor. Some say he backs Kim Jong-nam, just as Jang is said to do. Others say he actually backs Kim Jong-woon(the youngest and the least known son of Kim Jong-il.)

(4-star) General Ri Yong-Ho: A former commander of Pyongyang Defense Force. Served as the parade commander for 2002 & 2007 military parade in Pyongyang. Known as a front-runner among younger generation (in military.)

[TigerLikesRooster]

Ping!

[RetiredArmy]

Extensive combat experience???? Where???? NK has not been in a war since 1952. These guys must be 80 by now. Otherwise, their 1.1 million simply played war games.

[TigerLikesRooster]

What they are saying is that they commanded combat troops. Not in support operation or mostly staff duty.

[DTogo]

Ditto. Only the US, and now Israel to a lesser degree, has anything near extensive combat “experience.”

[RetiredArmy]

You can call the Boy Scouts combat troops. Until they see combat, they are not and do not have COMBAT experience. Sorry, one has to see combat to be combat. Been there, done it. I have more combat experience than NK troops.

[gura]

You left out Russia and Georgia.

[AuntB]

North Korea is busy these days shipping arms (grenades) to the Mexican Drug Cartels.

Mexico, U.S.: A New Weapon in the Cartel Arsenal
Stratfor Intelligence ^ | Feb. 10, 2009 | Stratfor
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2183376/posts

Grenades used in three recent attacks in Monterrey, Mexico, and Pharr, Texas, all originated from the same lot delivered from South Korea..