If the first rule of North Korea is Maintain the Supreme Leader's Glorious Haircut At All Times, the second appears to be No Slouching. According to Reuters, citing a South Korean government official, North Korean Vice Premier Kim Yong Jin was executed by firing squad in July "for not keeping his posture upright at a public event."
It might seem kind of harsh—he wasn't even sleeping!—but that's the way it goes in the Hermit Kingdom. Sit up or shut up. Or get devoured alive by 120 hungry dogs.
This slouch-induced execution is actually just the latest of Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's "purges" since he assumed power after his father's death in 2011. Here are some others mentioned by Reuters. And remember, these are not always easy to confirm:
- Kim Yong Chol, head of the United Front Department, was "was made to undergo 'revolutionary measures'" because of his "overbearing demeanor" around the time Kim Yong Jin was executed. He was "re-educated" at a rural farm for a month.
- Another high-ranking official in the "propaganda department" was also reprimanded in that time frame.
- The aforementioned 120-dog treatment was administered to Kim Jong Un's uncle, Jang Song Thaek, in 2012 for "factionalism and crimes damaging to the economy."
- Hyun Yong Chol, a defense minister, was executed last year for plain old treason.
From: Esquire US
