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Execution: Jang Song Thaek, with his hands tied with a rope, is shown being dragged into a military court shortly before his execution for treason yesterday. Once powerful, he was the uncle of leader Kim Jong Un |
Jang Sung-taek(pronounced [tɕaŋ sʰʌŋtʰɛk]; January or February 1946 – 12 December 2013), also romanized as Jang Song-thaek, Chang Sŏng-t'aek and other variations, was a leading figure in the government of North Korea. He was married to Kim Kyong-hui, the only daughter of former North Korean supreme leader Kim Il-sung, the only sister of former North Korean supreme leader Kim Jong-il and the aunt of Kim Jong-un, the supreme leader of North Korea.
Although the precise extent of Jang Sung-taek's power and position during his life cannot be confirmed, in 2008 South Korean government officials and academic North Korea experts suggested that he had taken on de factoleadership over North Korea while Kim Jong-il's health was declining and when Kim subsequently died. Jang was vice-chairman of the National Defence Commission, a position considered second only to that of the Supreme Leader. He is believed to have been promoted to four-star general around the time of Kim Jong-il's death as his first appearance in uniform was while visiting Kim lying in state. Jang was considered a "key policy adviser" to Kim Jong-un.
In December 2013, Jang was abruptly accused of being a counter-revolutionary and was stripped of all his posts and expelled from the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK). His photos were removed from official media and his image digitally removed from photos with other North Korean leaders. On 13 December, North Korea state media announced he had been executed. There have been external reports that many members of his family have also been killed.