SEOUL--North Korea's new top three military officers are known for their unquestioning support of leader Kim Jong Un and are flexible enough to accept the massive changes that may come from any deal with U.S. President Donald Trump, people who follow the secretive country say.
They replaced older, more conservative officers who have been recently sacked, according to a senior U.S. official and North Korea leadership analysts in Seoul.
As Washington pursues a negotiated end to Pyongyang's nuclear programme, U.S. officials believe there was some dissent in the military about Kim's negotiations with South Korea and the United States, a complete reversal of the North's pursuit of nuclear weapons and historic hostility. It was not clear if the sacked officers were responsible.
Citing an unidentified intelligence official, South Korea's Yonhap news agency said No Kwang Chol, first vice minister in the defence ministry, had replaced Pak Yong Sik as the defence chief, while Ri Yong Gil had returned as the army's chief of general staff in place of Ri Myong Su. The appointments could not be immediately confirmed.
North Korean media had earlier reported that Army General Kim Su Gil had succeeded Kim Jong Gak as director of the army's powerful General Political Bureau, one of the most senior positions in the country. The changes are a shock because they take place so close to each other and come just ahead of the scheduled June 12 summit between Trump and Kim in Singapore.
Some analysts said Kim was replacing older officers who were wedded to the country's nuclear doctrine with loyalists who would follow any changes he may make following the summit. "There would be a denuclearisation roadmap coming out of the summit with Trump, and it would be burdensome for Kim to have hawks who could be agitated by any desertion of the nuclear programme," said Cheong Seong-Chang, a senior fellow at South Korea's Sejong Institute.
Trump wants North Korea to "denuclearise" in return for relief from economic sanctions. Pyongyang sees its nuclear weapons as vital to its survival but Kim has said he plans to focus on economic development.
The moves are also in line with Kim's years-long efforts to consolidate power by purging senior officers and promoting trusted younger advisers to the politburo and other core positions. The new officers could also provide some insurance against any attempt to seize power while Kim is away at the summit, experts say.
"All these guys are Kim Jong Un people," said Michael Madden, a North Korea leadership expert at Johns Hopkins University's 38 North website. "Kim Jong Un is going to put people in place he can trust, who are loyal to him."
In addition to being hardcore loyalists, Madden said the three officers were experienced in dealing with foreigners, which was seen as a plus point. But it was not immediately clear whether any of them would accompany Kim to Singapore.
