North Korea reshuffles military leadership, appoints defence minister

North Korea held a meeting of Kim Jong Un’s ruling party military body and announced a structural reshuffle of its defense leadership, with No Kwang Chol dismissed as defense minister and demoted in the party rank. Kim Song Gi, previously head of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army, was named the new defense minister. Pak Jong Chon was reorganized into a higher leadership role as vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission and joined the Political Bureau. The changes are part of a broader promotions wave alongside other officials, and they occurred shortly after joint South Korea–United States drills. Kim Jong Un also lauded scientists and defense researchers in a separate KCNA report on advances in defense technology. The reshuffle comes in a tense security environment, with North Korea routinely criticizing joint drills and referencing past praise from U.S. President Donald Trump who, despite his stance, has privately engaged with North Korea on security issues.