North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (Right), flanked by his uncle North Korean politician Jang Song-thaek in this photo taken by Kyodo February 16, 2012. Credit. REUTERS/Kyodo (NORTH KOREA)
The execution of North Korea’s number 2, Kim Jong Un uncle Jang Song Thaek, was far more radical than initially reported, according to a Beijing-controlled newspaper. The paper’s report is claiming Kim Jong Un fed his uncle to starving dogs.
The Singaporean Straits Times cited a report from Wen Wei Po, a Beijing-controlled newspaper, which said Jang Song Thaek — the country’s second-most-powerful figure and 5 of his close associates — were stripped, thrown into a cage filled with 120 starving dogs that had not eaten for 3 days, and eaten alive.
The event, which was reportedly witnessed by 300 senior officials, lasted about 1 hour. PeoplesPunditDaily.com could not immediately verify the report.
Most political prisoners in North Korea are executed by means of a firing squad, according to the Singaporean Straits Times. Kim Jong Un has been reported to have moved away from that method, which has been a focal point of criticism from The Global Times, a Communist Party paper. The Times editorial called the killing an example of the backwardness of the regime under Kim, urged Beijing to distance itself from the country.
The Singaporean Strait Times reported that Jang was accused of selling cheap coal and precious metals to China, as well as securing low commodity prices for Chinese businessmen.
However, Jang was widely viewed as a supporter of Chinese-style economic reforms in North Korea. In fact, he was seen as a staunch supporter of reforms in his country, who served as a vital figure in the relationship between Pyongyang and Beijing. And prior to his death, China had concerns regarding the direction North Korea has been going under Kim Jong Un.
China is North Korea’s only official ally.
North Korea accused Jang, 67, of corruption, womanizing, gambling and taking drugs. It said he’d been eliminated from all his posts. Allegations heaped on claims that he tried “to overthrow the state by all sorts of intrigues and despicable methods with a wild ambition to grab the supreme power of our party and state.”
In what some have said was a suspicious characterization of Jang’s execution, the nation by state media called Jang a traitor who was “worse than a dog” and was attempting to overthrow the government.
