MOSCOW, February 11 (RIA Novosti) - North Korean
leader Kim Jong-il has appointed a new defense minister,
according to the country's state news agency KCNA.
Vice Marshal Kim Yong-chun, 73, who for two years has been
one of Kim Jong-il's right hand men, was named on Wednesday to
replace Kim Il-chol, defense minister since 2000. Kim Yong-chun
received his rank of marshal in 1995.
South Korean observers have noted that North Korea's
Defense Ministry is subordinate to the country's communist
nation's Defense Committee and is not a part of the Ministerial
Cabinet as it was earlier, when changes in the ministry were
made exclusively by the parliament. This time the change was
made by Kim Jong-il personally.
Over the last few days, North Korea has been creating
tension with its southern neighbor by preparing missile
launches and threatening to reduce South Korea to ashes. Some
analysts believe that the North is trying to get Washington's
attention so that it puts pressure on Seoul to ease its strict
policies on its neighbor.
The Yonhap news agency quoted a defense source in Seoul
last week as saying U.S. and South Korean intelligence
officials had recently identified a North Korean train carrying
what was believed to be a Taepodong-2 missile. The source said
that this could indicate the likelihood of a launch taking
place in a month or two.
The Taepodong-2 has a range of up to 6,000 km (3,700 miles) and
could therefore, in theory, reach the U.S. states of Alaska or
Hawaii.
A Taepodong-2 missile, which can carry a payload of up to 500
kilograms, was last test launched in July 2006, a few months
before the isolated communist state tested a nuclear bomb,
although it reportedly malfunctioned 40 seconds into the flight.
Relations between Seoul and the communist Pyonyang have
deteriorated since South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took
office in February 2008.
After coming to power last February, Lee said he would review
agreements reached at the 2000 and 2007 inter-Korean summits,
and demand more in return from the North for the economic
support provided by Seoul.
North Korea said on Friday it would scrap all political and
military agreements with South Korea, including a
non-aggression pact, over its neighbor's "hostile intent."
The two countries are still technically at war as their 1950-53
conflict ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
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