Uncle of Kim Jong-un ousted as associates executed

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle, seen as his nephew’s political regent and one of the most powerful men in the country, has apparently been ousted and several associates executed, South Korea’s spy agency said.

The National Intelligence Service (NIS) told a parliamentary committee it believed Jang Song-thaek had been removed as vice-chairman of the North’s top military body, the National Defence Commission.

If confirmed, Jang’s ouster would mark the most significant purge at the top of North Korean leadership since Kim Jong-un succeeded his late father Kim Jong-il in Dec 2011.