North Korea confirms Jang Song-thaek was "purged" for opposing the Party

North Korea confirmed on December 9 that Chang Song-thaek, the once-powerful uncle of young leader Kim Jong-un, had been removed from office for anti-Party behavior.

Leader Kim Jong-un and his uncle Jang Song-thaek.

North Korea's state news agency KCNA said the decision to remove Mr. Chang was made at a meeting of the Politburo of the Workers' Party of Korea.

"Chang Song-thaek and his followers have been carrying out anti-party, counter-revolutionary factional acts that have eroded the unity and cohesion of the party," KCNA said in a December 9 news report. "Chang pretended to support the party and its leadership, but he was completely involved in factional activities and was involved in the undermining of others behind their backs."

According to the report, Mr. Chang was stripped of all his positions and expelled from the Party. In addition, Jang Song-thaek's crimes include abuse of power; seriously obstructing the government's role by controlling important economic sectors; mismanagement and corruption; improper relationships and a depraved lifestyle.

On December 7, North Korean state television reportedly removed images of Mr. Chang from a documentary.

Leader Kim Jong-un came to power after his father Kim Jong-il died in 2011. Mr. Chang is married to Kim Jong-il's younger sister, Kim Jong-un's aunt. He often appears next to Kim Jong-un in photos and is considered the "power behind the throne".

Despite his family ties to the Kim family and his high-ranking positions, Mr. Chang has been targeted for purges in the past. In 2004, he disappeared from public view. South Korean intelligence sources at the time said Mr. Chang was placed under house arrest. Others said he was sent to a “re-education camp.” However, two years later, he appeared to have been reinstated.

Mr. Chang was seen as an economic reformer and had been in frequent negotiations with Beijing, Pyongyang’s only major ally. Until then, Mr. Chang had held very senior positions in the ruling party and the National Military Commission, North Korea’s supreme military body.

His downfall is the biggest shake-up in North Korea's leadership since Kim Jong-un succeeded his father. Two of his close aides have been executed for corruption.

According to LDO