North Korean leader's uncle executed for treachery Photo

13 Dekabr 2013 10:13 (UTC+04:00)

The once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been executed after being purged for "acts of treachery", SIA reports citing BBC News.

Chang Song-thaek was dramatically removed from a Communist Party session by armed guards earlier this week.

It was the biggest upheaval since Mr Kim succeeded his father two years ago.

State news agency KCNA said Mr Chang had admitted at a military trial on Thursday to attempting to overthrow the state, and was executed immediately.

Mr Chang, who is thought to have mentored his nephew during the leadership transition from Kim Jong-il to his son Kim Jong-un in 2011, was "worse than a dog", said the agency.

He had admitted abusing his positions of responsibility to form a faction against the state and to harbouring his own political ambitions, it said in a lengthy and detailed report.

In the US, the White House said it could not independently verify the reports but had "no reason to doubt" them.

"If confirmed, this is another example of the extreme brutality of the North Korean regime. We are following developments in North Korea closely and consulting with our allies and partners in the region," it said in a statement.

Chang Song-thaek (second right) being escorted in court on 12 December 2013

An image of Mr Chang in court, his hands bound, was released on Friday

File photo: Chang Song-thaek (left) and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un (right) at the People's Theatre in Pyongyang, 15 April 2013

Before his fall from grace, he was frequently pictured beside leader Kim Jong-un

File photo: South Korean President Park Geun-hye

South Korean President Park Geun-hye said the North was carrying out a "reign of terror"

Mr Chang - married to the elder Kim's sister - had held senior posts in the ruling party and the National Defence Commission, the North's top military body.

He was frequently pictured alongside his nephew and seen by some observers as the power behind the throne.

But in early December, it emerged that he had been removed from his senior military position and that two of his aides had been executed.

Then on Monday, KCNA broadcast footage of him being removed from a party session by uniformed guards.

In a long report on Friday, KCNA described Mr Chang as a "traitor" and "human scum".

It said: "Chang dreamed such a foolish dream that once he seizes power by a base method, his despicable true colours as 'reformist' known to the outside world would help his 'new government' get 'recognised' by foreign countries in a short span of time."

It also said Mr Chang:

Mr Chang admitted his "crimes" in court and a death sentence was "immediately executed", KCNA said.