Kim Jong Un has erased a top military commander and a shipyard boss from official photos after a failed warship launch reportedly triggered the North Korean despot’s rage. Admiral Kim Myong Sik and shipbuilder Hong Kil Ho were initially pictured alongside Kim during an inspection of the vessel in March—but they’ve since been airbrushed out, leaving a conspicuous space next to the dictator. Their vanishing act may hint at a grim fate. “The airbrushing of a North Korean official from a state media image like this is a strong indication that the person in question has been executed,” North Korea expert Michael Madden told The Sun. The two men were reportedly arrested after the regime’s newest guided-missile warship keeled over before Kim’s eyes during its launch in May. Kim later said the accident was caused by “absolute carelessness” and “irresponsibility,” vowing punishment for those involved. The famously ruthless despot boasted this month that the ship—touted as a key asset in defending the country against what he calls threats from the U.S. and its regional allies—has been repaired, though defense experts doubt it’s operational. Kim’s apparent effort to scrub disgraced officials from the record echoes tactics used by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, who infamously doctored photos to remove purged allies.
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