SK media in hyperdrive over NK army chief
Source: Agencies |
July 21, 2012, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE surprise news set off a predictable wildfire of speculation and rumor south of the border.
Almost as soon as North Korea announced that its army chief had been dismissed due to "illness," South Korea's media went into hyperdrive.
Yesterday, a newspaper, citing "unconfirmed intelligence reports," said Ri Yong Ho may have been wounded or killed in a blaze of gunfire during an attempt to detain him.
So which was it ? illness or a gun battle? Perhaps neither. North Korea watchers are skeptical of the illness claim, but even an unnamed government official cited in the South Korean account said the firefight "has still not been 100 percent confirmed."
Conservative South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that 20 to 30 soldiers had died in a gunfight involving Ri's bodyguards. The report quoted a source as saying the possibility of Ri being wounded or killed in the gunfight couldn't be ruled out.
TV network YTN cited rumors among unnamed defectors about a gunfight.
However, in a statement late last night, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency criticized what it called "ridiculous" and "false" rumors.
It specifically faulted US and South Korean media for spreading "misinformation," including reports about "serious power scrambles within the leadership" in North Korea, speculation that Ri wasn't dismissed because of illness and that the country was shifting away from its "military first" policy.
Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper based in Japan, had earlier accused South Korean authorities of trying to create disorder by spreading rumors that Ri had been purged.
North Korea had previously said nothing about Ri's health or his future plans since his dismissal.
The capital, Pyongyang, portrayed a peaceful handover to new military chief Hyon Yong Chol. Soldiers celebrated in the streets with choreographed dances on Thursday after the announcement of Hyon's new role and the promotion of young leader Kim Jong Un to marshal.
North Korean officials have disappeared under "chilling circumstances" before, but reports of their fates are often based on murky sources.
Many end up being false.
In 1986, Chosun Ilbo announced in a "world exclusive" that Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather and revered founder of the country, had been shot dead on a train near the border with South Korea. A day later, Kim was seen greeting a visiting official.
Almost as soon as North Korea announced that its army chief had been dismissed due to "illness," South Korea's media went into hyperdrive.
Yesterday, a newspaper, citing "unconfirmed intelligence reports," said Ri Yong Ho may have been wounded or killed in a blaze of gunfire during an attempt to detain him.
So which was it ? illness or a gun battle? Perhaps neither. North Korea watchers are skeptical of the illness claim, but even an unnamed government official cited in the South Korean account said the firefight "has still not been 100 percent confirmed."
Conservative South Korean newspaper Chosun Ilbo reported that 20 to 30 soldiers had died in a gunfight involving Ri's bodyguards. The report quoted a source as saying the possibility of Ri being wounded or killed in the gunfight couldn't be ruled out.
TV network YTN cited rumors among unnamed defectors about a gunfight.
However, in a statement late last night, North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency criticized what it called "ridiculous" and "false" rumors.
It specifically faulted US and South Korean media for spreading "misinformation," including reports about "serious power scrambles within the leadership" in North Korea, speculation that Ri wasn't dismissed because of illness and that the country was shifting away from its "military first" policy.
Choson Sinbo, a pro-North Korean newspaper based in Japan, had earlier accused South Korean authorities of trying to create disorder by spreading rumors that Ri had been purged.
North Korea had previously said nothing about Ri's health or his future plans since his dismissal.
The capital, Pyongyang, portrayed a peaceful handover to new military chief Hyon Yong Chol. Soldiers celebrated in the streets with choreographed dances on Thursday after the announcement of Hyon's new role and the promotion of young leader Kim Jong Un to marshal.
North Korean officials have disappeared under "chilling circumstances" before, but reports of their fates are often based on murky sources.
Many end up being false.
In 1986, Chosun Ilbo announced in a "world exclusive" that Kim Il Sung, the current leader's grandfather and revered founder of the country, had been shot dead on a train near the border with South Korea. A day later, Kim was seen greeting a visiting official.
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