Hwang Pyong-so, a high-flying military figure in North Korea, may have been appointed as a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the North’s ruling Workers’ Party, according to Seoul’s Unification Ministry.

The communist state has also abolished the party’s administration department, which was led by Jang Song-thaek, the uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Jang was executed last December for plotting to overthrow the authoritarian regime.

The ministry presented these changes in the North’s top echelons in its annual analysis of the communist state’s power structure Tuesday.

Based on its intelligence, the ministry described Hwang, the new director of the General Political Bureau of the North Korean military, and Ri Yong-gil, the head of the military’s General Staff, as being among the 16 CMC members.

The CMC is the party’s overarching military decision-making body that determines military policies and defense projects.

The ministry also raised the possibility of Hwang having joined the politburo, the party’s supreme decision-making organization.

Hwang rose to prominence a month ago as he took the helm of the General Political Bureau seen as the most influential military institution. The bureau oversees core military personnel affairs, including promotion, position assignment and disciplinary action.

Hwang replaced Choe Ryong-hae, who was regarded as the North’s No. 2 man, having enormous clout in the National Defense Commission, the ruling Workers’ Party and the military. Analysts said that North Korean leader Kim might have put Hwang in the top military post to keep Choe in check.

The Unification Ministry was unsure about the current status of Choe within the party. Choe has been known as a vice CMC chairman and core member of the politburo. “We need to further check the status,” a ministry official told reporters.

With regard to the status of Kim’s aunt Kim Kyong-hui, the ministry also said that they needed to further check whether she has retained the high post of party secretary.

Kim, the wife of Jang Song-thaek, has long been absent from the public eye. Rumors have spread that Kim, the younger sister of late North Korean strongman Kim Jong-il, is in critical condition, suffering from various illnesses including cancer, dementia, depression and heart disease.

The failing health of Kim has raised concerns over the stability of the regime. After the death of her brother in December 2011, Kyong-hui has been one of the most trusted guardians for the young North Korean leader, who inherited the leadership of the country after only a few years of grooming.

Rudiger Frank, a North Korea expert at the University of Vienna, said that Kim would be able to stably manage state affairs and push for his own national agenda without his aunt.

“There are hundreds (of their advisers) if not thousands (in Kim’s family dynasty). So I think he can easily live without Jang and Kim Kyong-hui,” he said.

“Especially, since they have been too strong, as a typical dictatorial leader (like others) everywhere in the world, even in the administration or private companies, the boss usually doesn’t like to have somebody who is too close to him. He likes to have subordinates, advisers, but he doesn’t like to have somebody who can challenge his position.”

In its analysis of the North’s power structure, the ministry confirmed the abolition of the party’s administration division, a once-powerful organ leading state security affairs. After the execution of Jang, rumors have persisted that the division had been removed.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)