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North Koreans bow to mourn their late leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, in this photo taken by Kyodo January 1, 2012. The slogan on the wall of the building reads,"The great leader Kim Il-sung is always with us."
Credits: REUTERS/KYODO
North Korea's vice defence chief was executed by firing squad for drinking alcohol during the official mourning period for dead dictator Kim Jong-il, South Korean media reports.
According to the Chosun Ilbo newspaper, Gen. Kim Chol was executed in January, after new leader Kim Jong-un decided to look into senior officials' behaviour following his father's death.
The newspaper called the execution "an apparent bid to force top military brass into submission."
Chol was just one of 14 senior party members, military officials and government leaders killed for misbehaving during the mourning period, which followed the dictator's death on Dec. 17, 2011.
"It seems that the purges will continue for the time being, as Kim Jong-un is tightening his grip on power," said South Korean politician Yoon Sang-hyun, who says he obtained intelligence data outlining the executions.
