South Korea has a mixed record in reporting on purges in North Korea. In May, a North Korean general reported by South Korean intelligence officials to have been executed earlier in the year appeared at a ruling party congress. Still, South Korean officials in recent months have frequently said Kim Jong Un’s brutality is creating cracks in the regime. In April, it reported the rare case of a group defection of North Korean workers living in China. Since taking power in late 2011, he has purged or rotated out about 100 senior officials, according to the South Korean government.

Source: Wall Street Journal August 31, 2016 03:12 UTC