On this photograph taken from a video launched by Russian Defence Ministry press service, Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov, proper on the purple carpet, is welcomed by North Korean Defence Minister No Kwang Chol in 2024.
| Picture Credit score: AP
North Korea‘s Defence Minister has been dismissed as a part of a reshuffle of the nation’s navy management, state media reported on Sunday (August 30, 2026).
The “structural reorganization plans” had been determined throughout a gathering on Saturday (August 29) led by Kim Jong Un, the Korean Central Information Company (KCNA) mentioned.
No Kwang Chol was not solely dismissed as Defence Minister but additionally demoted within the ruling get together management to “first vice-director of the Munitions Business Division,” KCNA mentioned.
Kim Music Gi, director of the Common Political Bureau of the Korean Folks’s Military, was named as the brand new Defence Minister.
One other senior official, Defence Advisor Pak Jong Chon, was given the place of vice-chairman of the Central Navy Fee and named to the ruling get together’s Political Bureau.
A number of different promotions had been additionally introduced.
In a separate report, KCNA mentioned Mr. Kim had lauded scientists, researchers and officers at a ceremony on Saturday for his or her advances in defence expertise, giving them prime nationwide honours.
The honorees vastly contributed to “resolving scientific and technological issues of epochal significance in creating new fight weapon methods”, KCNA mentioned, with out specifying the kind of system.
A photograph launched by KCNA reveals Mr. Kim pinning a medal on a recipient.
The nuclear-armed state’s weapons analysis centre “has just lately developed unique applied sciences, to be considered an occasion in strengthening the aptitude for combating a conflict”, it added with out giving particulars.
With such applied sciences, it has proven “the course of distinctive growth of the nation’s navy and technological capabilities”, it mentioned.
In late June, Mr. Kim oversaw exams of a brand new extended-range a number of rocket launcher and artillery.
Trilateral drills
The management shuffle comes shortly after joint annual drills between South Korea and the US wrapped up.
The drills, that are repeatedly denounced by Pyongyang as preparations for an invasion, had been intently watched this 12 months after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered them to be lower brief.
Mr. Trump criticised the drills as provocative in the direction of the North and bashed Seoul for not supporting his conflict in opposition to Iran.
The U.S. President additionally praised North Korean chief Mr. Kim, whom he met twice throughout his first time period in workplace, as he eyes a brand new assembly, doubtlessly this 12 months.
Regardless of Mr. Trump’s overtures, North Korea has proven little signal of reciprocating, firing missiles and condemning the scaled-down drills.
Pyongyang has additionally slammed Washington’s approval of arms gross sales to South Korea and plans to fund programmes documenting human rights abuses within the North.
Navy cooperation amongst Washington and its regional allies is in the meantime set to proceed, with South Korea, the US and Japan on account of maintain trilateral joint workouts — known as Freedom Edge — from September 7 to 11 in worldwide waters east and south of South Korea’s Jeju Island.
“This train is a defensive drill carried out yearly by the three international locations to answer North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and safeguard peace and stability within the area,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Workers (JCS) mentioned on Friday (August 28).
Revealed – August 30, 2026 07:40 am IST
