This file photograph, carried by North Korea’s official Korean Central Information Company exhibits the North’s chief Kim Jong-un, surrounded by his bodyguards holding black suitcases (circled in purple) throughout his inspection of a regional hospital underneath building the day before today, Sept. 13, 2025. Yonhap
North Korea has changed its prime navy officers in command of guarding chief Kim Jong-un, the unification ministry mentioned Tuesday, with Seoul’s spy company assessing the North as elevating the extent of safety for Kim on assassination considerations.
North Korea has modified the chiefs of three main North Korean items defending the safety of the North’s chief — the Guard Workplace of the ruling social gathering, the Guard Division of the State Affairs Fee and the Bodyguard Command — the ministry mentioned in its evaluation of the foremost reshuffle of North Korean officers in 2025.
The ministry didn’t disclose the precise timing or the rationale for the substitute, nevertheless it mentioned the modified chiefs of such businesses have been detected throughout a navy parade marking the eightieth founding anniversary of the Employees’ Social gathering of Korea (WPK) in October 2025.
Track Jun-sol serves because the chief of the Guard Workplace in command of defending Kim and his relations. Ro Kyong-chol was appointed to steer the Guard Division tasked with guarding Kim throughout public occasions. Ra Chol-jin assumed the chief of the Bodyguard Command of the Korean Folks’s Military (KPA) in command of facility safety, similar to Kim’s residence.
However Kim Yong-ho, the chief of the Bodyguard Division, often called the North’s secret service, has retained his publish, the ministry mentioned.
“It’s noticeable that North Korea has changed officers in command of guarding the ‘supreme chief’ in a comparatively brief time period,” a ministry official mentioned.
In October 2024, the Nationwide Intelligence Service, Seoul’s spy company, advised lawmakers that the North has raised the extent of safety for Kim in consideration of attainable makes an attempt to murderer him.
In the meantime, Ri Pyong-chol, a prime North Korean navy official, is presumed to be faraway from the publish of vice chairman of the WPK’s Army Central Fee, the ministry mentioned. His age of 78 may very well be one of many causes for the reshuffle.
North Korea noticed the variety of members of the presidium of the political bureau fall to 4 from the earlier 5 with Ri’s presumed demotion to a member. With Ri’s elimination, Pak Jong-chon has change into the only vice chairman of the Central Army Fee.
Ri Il-hwan, a celebration secretary dealing with propaganda and agitation, is presumed to imagine some roles that needs to be taken by former Premier Kim Tok-hun, a celebration secretary in command of financial affairs. Ri was seen accompanying the chief Kim on main inspections, together with opening ceremonies of regional factories.
North Korea additionally seems to have elevated the variety of the posts of first vice protection minister and first vice-chief of the KPA Common Employees to 2 from one.
