Kim Jong Un's top aide executed by North Korean death squad, reports suggest

New images show Kim Jong Un with missile scientists

Dictator seen on video attending government conference; Greg Palkot reports from London.

A key member of Kim Jong Un's inner circle touted as a powerful military figure mysteriously vanished from public life recently, sparking rumors he was executed by a North Korean death squad after allegations of bribery, recent reports indicated.


Hwang Pyong-so, a vice marshal who held the most senior position in North Korea’s military, hasn’t been seen in public since Oct. 13, sparking rumors of his death.



North Korean vice chairman of the State Affairs Commission Hwang Pyong-so's profile picture is shown in this undated photo. (KCNA via Reuters)

Kim has previously dispatched his enemies via a variety of gruesome methods, including shooting them with anti-aircraft weaponry at a close distance and feeding them to a pack of ravenous dogs.

News about Hwang’s troubles within Kim’s regime emerged in mid-November, when South Korea’s spy agency reported the top aide and his deputy, Kim Won-hong, were expelled from the military’s General Politico Bureau and “punished,” Yonhap News Agencyreported.



Kim Jong Un, right, and Hwang Pyong-so enjoy watching an air show in 2014. (KCNA via Reuters)

A rare inspection on the bureau was conducted after reports of “impure attitude” toward the volatile regime. The spy agency said it was looking into details about their punishment.

“If Hwang was indeed kicked out of the Workers’ Party, it would practically mean the end of his political career, and possibly his life, though it is unknown whether or not he is still alive,” South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo reported, according to the Telegraph.