The KCNA news agency has officially confirmed the appointment of the new Defense Minister, two months after reports emerged that his predecessor had been executed.

In a news report about high-level military talks with Laos, North Korean news agency KCNA mentioned four-star General Pak Yong Sik as the Minister of Defense.

This is the first time the country has publicly announced that Mr. Pak currently holds this important position. Previously, Mr. Pak had appeared in the delegation accompanying North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at several major events recently.

Pak Yong Sik accompanied North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to several events. (Photo: Yonhap)

Promoted to major general in 1999, Pak Yong Sik became a four-star general this past May.

According to Yonhap, the Minister of Defense is believed to be the second or third most powerful military position in North Korea.

His predecessor, Hyon Yong Chol, last appeared in North Korean media on April 29.

According to South Korean intelligence, Hyon was executed for treason by anti-aircraft gun fire at a military school in Pyongyang, in front of hundreds of people, on April 30.

Some experts are skeptical of this claim because Hyon continued to appear in several documentaries after the date he was allegedly executed.

(According to VNN)