Kim Jong Un Purges Wealthy Elite and Opponents of Outreach to U.S.
Some 50 to 70 people exiled, jailed or executed as leader looks to silence critics and target moneyed elite with asset seizures, says report
The stakes are higher for President Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to agree on specifics to move forward stalled denuclearization talks during their planned summit in Vietnam at the end of February, analysts say, but no major breakthroughs are expected. Photo: Associated Press
SEOUL—North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has exiled, imprisoned or executed suspected opponents of his diplomatic outreach to the U.S. and South Korea, while also targeting his country’s moneyed elite with asset seizures, according to a new report that details a purge of some 50 to 70 individuals.
The crackdown, portrayed as an anticorruption campaign in state-run media, suggests Mr. Kim is looking to silence critics and shore up his regime’s finances in the face of international sanctions, said U.S. security analysts and former...