North Korea Executes Military Leader
BLITZER: "The reign of extreme terror," that's how some are describing the systematic disposal of senior North Korean officials by the leader, Kim Jong-Un. Now we're hearing one Kim's chiefs of staff, Ri Yong-gil, is dead. It's believed he was executed for misuse of authority and treason. South Korean intelligence believe at least 80 top officials have now been killed on Kim's orders. To talk about this and more, we're joined by "The Daily Beast" columnist, Gordon Chang. He's also the author of "Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes On the World." Gordon, what does this latest execution of this top military official tell us about Kim's control of the North Korean military?</s>GORDON CHANG, COLUMNIST, THE DAILY BEAST: I think it undermines the general narrative which has been maintained by South Korea and U.S. Intelligence communities that Kim quickly consolidated command of the army, as well as the rest of the political system, when he took over four years ago. I don't think you can maintain that now, because we have seen three four stars in the last 13 months either killed or disappeared. And that says there is fluidity in the political situation in Pyongyang.</s>BLITZER: Does he run the risk of a coup?</s>CHANG: I think to a certain extent he does. The North Korean military understands that the regime's legitimacy depends on a Kim at the top. But nonetheless, this particular Kim has taken away their control of money, exports. And so that is a big deal. Plus, also, he's put party functionaries in key military posts. And along the way, he's killed military officers, which means that everyone knows they're playing for keeps. So in a situation where a senior officer thinks he's being targeted, he has very little to lose to go against Kim Jong-Un. So one of these days, I think that we will see the military try to move against Kim.</s>BLITZER: He's also, Kim, ratcheting up tensions, last month, with the nuclear test, the test of a ballistic missile. South Korea suspending operations at the industrial complex inside North Korea, not far from the border. Today, the North announced it would expel all the South Koreans from the facility. This is usually a bellwether for relations on the Korean peninsula. And I suspect this deterioration is going to escalate.</s>CHANG: You know, it certainly will, because the industrial complex, very important for the North Koreans. You have about 54,000 North Koreans employed there. There's been an average of about $90 million a year in the last three or four years, $515 million since it was opened in 2004. So this is material for the North Koreans. And at this point, the Pyongyang realizes that because there's been what it considers to be such an affront to the authority of Kim Jong- Un by South Korea, by closing the zone, they've got to do something. You know, we saw six months ago what happens when you have some minor incidents in the demilitarized zone which separates the two Koreas. This is a much bigger deal so therefore the consequences, I think, are going to be much larger.</s>BLITZER: Yeah, let's not forget nearly a million North Korean troops not far from the DMZ, nearly a million South Korean troops, some nearly 30,000 American troops right in between, along the DMZ, as well. A very, very tense situation that we're monitoring right now. Gordon Chang, thanks very much.</s>CHANG: Thanks, Wolf.</s>BLITZER: Just ahead, countdown to a political showdown. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton, they meet in a major debate tonight. Our political panel getting ready to examine what's at stake for both of these candidates. That happens when we come back.