North Korea Overhauls Military Leadership, Dismisses Defense Minister in Sweeping Structural Reorganization

PYONGYANG — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has presided over a sweeping high-level military reshuffle, dismissing Defense Minister No Kwang-chol and elevating Kim Song Gi to the critical post.

According to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the personnel changes and structural reorganization plans were finalized during the second meeting of the ninth Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

Under the reshuffle, Kim Song Gi—formerly the director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army—takes over as the nation's new Minister of National Defense. His predecessor, No Kwang-chol, was removed from his ministerial post and party leadership duties, being reassigned as the first vice-director of the Munitions Industry Department.

The sweeping organizational overhaul also marked the return of veteran military heavyweight Pak Jong Chon to the forefront of Pyongyang's command hierarchy. Pak was reinstated as a member of the elite Politburo and appointed vice-chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission, cementing a key role in steering the country's defense and security policies.

State media reported that the high-level gathering focused on "a series of structural reorganization plans for the improvement and development of future overall defense affairs." Analysts suggest the shakeup is designed to tighten internal discipline, streamline command structures, and accelerate Pyongyang's broader military modernization objectives.

Parallel to the leadership changes, KCNA reported that Kim Jong Un met with leading defense scientists and researchers in Pyongyang, awarding them state commendations for recent breakthroughs in advanced combat weapon systems. Hailing the technological advances as a "great revolution," Kim emphasized the necessity of continuously bolstering the nation's self-defensive capabilities amidst ongoing geopolitical friction.