A high-ranking official in the North Korean government has apparently been executed after falling asleep at a meeting attended by Kim Jong-Un.
Defence minister Hyon Yong Chol, 66, was arrested and executed in North Korea for treason as a result of showing "disrespect" to the leader of the country at a recent event.
The military event was attended by Kim Jong-Un himself, and South Korea's National Intelligence Service claims that Chol was caught falling asleep as well as talking back to the dictator. According to Sky News, Hyon had been in the role for less than a year, and this was apparently not the first time he'd had a run in with the leader, after he refused to follow orders on a number of occasions.
The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea report on their site HRNK Insider that the execution was carried out at Kanggon Military Training Area using anti-aircraft guns, adding that this would make for a particularly gruesome spectacle for the officials who were apparently watching from a special viewing area: "Bodies would be nearly pulverized. The gut-wrenching viciousness of such an act would make 'cruel and unusual punishment' sound like a gross understatement".
Kim Jong-Un has also listed a further 15 officials for execution this year as a result of them challenging his authority, and has been on a purge since taking power in 2011 to try and strengthen his grip on the regime, even executing his uncle Jang Song-Thaek in 2013 for being a "traitor".
Via Sky News
