N Korea general feared purged as Kim makes mark

North Korea’s top military official — a key mentor to new leader Kim Jong-un — has been removed from all posts because of illness, state media said in a surprise announcement that shakes the core of the authoritarian country’s power structure.

Ri Yong Ho had looked healthy in recent appearances, and his departure fed speculation that Kim purged him in an effort to put his own mark on the nation he inherited seven months ago when his father Kim Jong-il died. At the same time, there was no sign of discord at Ri’s last public appearance barely a week ago.

The decision to dismiss the 69-year-old from top military and political posts was made at a Workers’ Party meeting, according to the official Korean Central News Agency. It was not immediately clear who would take Ri’s place.