海角大神

North Korea's young leader promoted a new army marshal after sacking his top general in what a South Korean official report said was a bid to impose authority on a military that has been the backbone of his family's long rule over the isolated state.

But analysts said the moves, just seven months since rising to power, do not suggest any fundamental change by聽Kim Jong-un聽to the policies of his grandfather and father which have left聽North Korea聽constantly on the brink of famine and ostracized by the most of the world.聽

The rise of relative unknown Hyon Yong-chol to vice marshal was announced by North Korean state media on Tuesday.

Thought by聽South Korea's defense ministry to be in his early 60s, Hyon first rose to prominence in 2007. In 2010, he was named a "leader" along with then-heir apparent聽Kim Jong-un聽and his place in the ruling elite confirmed by being part of the official delegation at December's funeral of former ruler, and the young Kim's father,聽Kim Jong-il.

Generals in their 60s are considered young in聽North Korea, where remnants of the anti-Japanese struggle of the state's founder聽Kim Il-sung 鈥� the new leader's grandfather 鈥� who are in their 80s are still present in government and usually expected to die in uniform.

It was not known whether Hyon would replace聽Ri Yong-ho聽as head of the聽North Korean Army, one of the world's largest.

An assessment of the changes by the聽South Korean government聽seen by Reuters, said that some 20 top officials had been purged since聽Kim Jong-un began his ascent to power in 2009.

"The purging of Ri could be a message towards the new military, as it remains a threat to the聽Kim Jong-un聽regime, although it served an important purpose in helping Kim to the throne," said the report on Ri's ousting.

Kim Jong-un's stamp

Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his late 20s, has already stamped his image on聽North Korea, an impoverished nation with nuclear weapons ambitions and where a recent UN report said malnutrition stunts one in three children.聽

Partly educated in聽Switzerland聽and bearing a physical resemblance to his revered grandfather 鈥� who is the North's eternal president 鈥� the plump young leader has jollied up his and聽North Korea's image.

In sharp contrast to the austere, reclusive image of his father, state media has shown Kim visiting fun fairs, speaking in public and applauding at a rock concert at the weekend.

But he appears to have done little, if anything, to address the desperate economic situation he inherited from his father in a country where average incomes are estimated by聽South Korea聽at just $1,200 a year.

"Kim Jong-un聽is shuffling things to establish a system that fits his era and moving on from the transitional period that had been left over by his father," said聽Koh Yu-hwan, an expert on聽North Korea's ruling ideology at聽Dongguk University in Seoul.

"We will be seeing a lot of unknown characters in the era of聽Kim Jong-un."

Accordion playing uncle cements his role聽

One of the main beneficiaries of Vice Marshal Ri's ousting looks to be聽Jang Song-thaek, the young Kim's uncle who married into the ruling family and who is reckoned by many analysts as the real power behind the throne.

The聽South Korean government聽report said the 66-year old Jang and聽Choe Ryong-hae, a long-time party faithful used as a counterbalance to Jang's influence, were behind Ri's ouster.

The handsome, accordion-playing Jang has been a constant presence around聽Kim Jong-un. He overcome his own purge, bitter palace intrigue and personal tragedy to become the chief adviser to his nephew and the third Kim to lead聽North Korea.

People with knowledge of the North's leadership family have said aunt聽Kim Kyong-hui聽has struggled with bouts of alcoholism and was a peripheral figure. Choe is seen as a balance to Jang and Hyon will be an addition, experts say.

Given the closed nature of聽North Korea, one of the world's most secretive states, it is not possible to independently verify many of the views of observers.

Choe was First Secretary of the聽Central Committee聽of the Kim Il-sung聽Socialist Youth League, the main ruling party spin-off that trained young communists for leadership and a power base for聽Kim Jong-un.

"Previously there were two pillars in聽North Korea's regime 鈥� the elite guardians' group led by聽Jang Song-thaek聽and Choe Ryong-hae and military elites' group led by Ri," said Lee Seung-yeol, researcher at聽Ewha Institute of Unification Studies.

"Now that Ri, whom聽Kim Jong-il聽wanted to face against Jang, was removed, the elite system built by聽Kim Jong-il聽has completely broken apart," he said.

• Additional reporting by Jack Kim, Christine Kim and Jumin Park, Editing by Jonathan Thatcher