North Korea said Tuesday that it had promoted a little-known general to a key military rank , a day after it announced that it had relieved its army chief of all his government posts . The secretive state 's top two military commissions have decided to give the title of vice marshal to Hyon Yong Chol , according to a report by the state-run Korean Central News Agency ( KCNA ) . The KCNA report did not say whether Hyon will replace Ri Yong Ho , the departed army chief . Ri held the title of vice marshal along with other military and party posts before his removal . North Korea said Monday that it was relieving Ri from all his posts due to an unspecified illness . The news prompted speculation among analysts that there might be a power struggle between North Korea 's powerful military and civilian elite . Kim Jong Un became `` supreme leader '' of North Korea after the death of his father , Kim Jong Il , in December . Ri -- who was appointed army chief in February 2009 , according to KCNA -- was considered one of Kim Jong Un 's closest aides during and after his rise to power . There are several other vice marshals in North Korea at the moment . Those holding the title are considered to be eligible for key posts in the upper echelons of the ruling Workers ' Party of Korea . Not much is known about Hyon , but his promotion is probably the work of Kim Jong Un 's uncle , Jang Song Taek , an influential figure behind Kim 's rise , according to Park Soo-geun , a former commander of the South Korean Defense Intelligence Command . `` He was promoted in 2010 to the rank equivalent to that of four-star general together with Kim Jong Un , '' Park said of Hyon . `` But being promoted to vice marshal means he will now show off his power at the political stage , '' Park , a retired South Korean major general , added . Andrei Lankov , a professor at Kookmin University in South Korea , agreed with Park 's assessment . `` This follows a pattern we have seen since at least last March , '' Lankov said . `` People who can be described as the Jang Song Taek group are taking the upper hand . It seems Jang Song Taek may be removing people who might constitute a threat to him . '' If so , this may be the the first purge under the leadership of Kim Jong Un , Lankov said . `` Not necessarily a bloody one but the first case of a person of great political significance being removed , '' Lankov said . Korea observers may soon find out what 's happening inside the secretive nation , said Han Park , a professor of international affairs at the University of Georgia and director of the school 's Center for the Study of Global Issues . `` If it is a power struggle of that nature , we will see some ensuing changes in top personnel , '' he said . `` Unless we see that , ( Ri 's stepping down ) is really for personal reasons , such as illness . '' Park said he saw Ri in April at a banquet in Pyongyang celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of the nation 's founder , Kim Il Sung . `` He did n't appear to be a very healthy person , '' Park said . `` His kind of color is a little dark , and it did n't appear to be very healthy . '' Still , he said , he was `` shocked '' when he heard the news that Ri had been removed from his posts . `` He 's a very formidable person there , '' Park said .
Removal could be evidence of first leadership purge under new leader , analyst says . Pyongyang chooses a new vice marshal a day after removing its army chief . State media does n't say whether Hyon Yong Chol replaces the army chief . The promotion is probably the work of Kim Jong Un 's uncle , an expert says .