What is Kim Jong-un afraid of when he replaces the Minister of National Security?

South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted an article by Japan's Asahi Shimbun newspaper on November 25 reporting that North Korea has appointed Mr. Jong Kyong-Thaek, member of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, as the new Minister of State Security.

Mr. Choe Ryong-hae is a close official of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The newspaper quoted many sources familiar with North Korea as saying that Mr. Jong's appointment as Minister of State Security was consistent with leader Kim Jong-un's approach of trying to prevent his aides or organizations from holding too much power.

Mr Jong's predecessor, Mr Kim Won-hong, was dismissed earlier this year. Japan's Tokyo Shimbun reported that Mr Kim Won-hong was taken to a farm in Pyongyang.

Earlier this week, a representative of the North Korean National Intelligence Service also informed lawmakers that North Korea was conducting an inspection of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army and that its head, Hwang Pyong-so, and his deputy, Kim Won-hong, had been disciplined for "unclean" acts.

Choe Ryong-hae, vice chairman of the Party Central Committee, led the inspection.

According to Dan Viet