▲ This file photo, carried by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on Sept. 13, 2025, shows the North's leader Kim Jong-un (C), surrounded by his bodyguards holding black suitcases (circled in red) during his inspection of a regional hospital under construction the previous day (For Use Only in the Republic of Korea. No Redistribution) (Yonhap)

NK officials-reshuffle

N. Korea replaces top officials guarding leader Kim Jong-un: unification ministry

SEOUL, Jan. 13 (Yonhap) -- North Korea has replaced its top officials in charge of guarding leader Kim Jong-un in recent years, Seoul's unification ministry said Tuesday.

North Korea has changed the chiefs of three major North Korean units defending the security of the North's leader -- the Guard Office of the ruling party, the Guard Department of the State Affairs Commission and the Guard Command -- the ministry said in its analysis of the major reshuffle of North Korean officials in 2025.

The ministry did not disclose the exact timing or the reason for the replacement, but it said the changed chiefs of such agencies were detected during a military parade marking the 80th founding anniversary of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) in October 2025.

"It is noticeable that North Korea has replaced officials in charge of guarding the 'supreme leader' in a relatively short period of time," a ministry official said.

Meanwhile, Ri Pyong-chol, a top North Korean military official, is presumed to be removed from the post of vice chairman of the WPK's Military Central Commission, the ministry said.

North Korea saw the number of members of the presidium of the political bureau fall to four from the previous five with Ri's presumed demotion to a member.

The presidium currently comprises the North's leader Kim; Premier Pak Thae-song; Choe Ryong-hae, chairman of the parliament's standing committee; and Jo Yong-won, a party secretary. With Ri's removal, Pak Jong-chon has become the sole vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.

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