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SEOUL. — North Korea yesterday excoriated Jang Song Thaek, the uncle of leader Kim Jong Un, for what it described as a slew of criminal acts, confirming the spectacular downfall of the once second most powerful man in the reclusive state.The sacking of Jang for mismanaging the economy, corruption, womanising and drug-taking comes after South Korean media reports that one of his aides has sought asylum in South Korea.
The unidentified aide, who managed funds for Jang, was being protected by South Korean officials. Jang was removed from all his posts and expelled from the ruling Workers’ Party during a meeting of its politburo on Sunday, the North’s official KCNA news agency said. Kim Jong Un attended and “guided” the meeting, it said.
North Korean state television showed a still photograph of Jang being hauled away by uniformed guards from a large conference hall as it reported on the politburo meeting.
Kim’s uncle has also been airbrushed out of pictures and video footage and experts said his name was no longer searchable on the KCNA database.
“Jang and his followers committed criminal acts baffling imagination and they did tremendous harm to our party and revolution,” KCNA said, without saying if Jang had been detained or charged with any crime. — Reuters.
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