North Korea executed 15 high-ranking officials, South Korean intelligence says

SEOUL, April 29 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has executed 15 high-ranking officials in 2015 to keep his grip on power and terrorize adversaries, according to South Korea's National Intelligence Service.

The recent report from Seoul's spy agency was presented to South Korean lawmakers behind closed doors. The New York Times reported Kim has ordered the execution of 68 senior officials since taking power in 2012.

According to two lawmakers in attendance, Lee Cheol-woo and Shin Kyeong-min, representatives of the intelligence agency said Kim does not behave rationally and expects orders to be followed unconditionally, Yonhap reported.

Those who have expressed disagreement with Kim have been executed, they said, to instill fear and set a dire example for dissenters.

Prominent North Korean officials are not exempt from punishment. In January a North Korean vice minster, Rim Op Song, complained about Kim's forestation policy and was subsequently executed.

An unnamed vice chairman of North Korea's National Planning Commission was executed in February, intelligence officials said, after he argued with Kim over a science and technology center under construction by North Korea's Taedong River.

According to sources, Kim wanted a roof in the shape of a Kimilsungia, a type of hybrid orchid named after his revered grandfather.

When the official complained the changes will be hard to implement and will result in construction delays, Kim also ordered the official's execution.

Kim's most high-profile execution, however, was the 2013 death of his uncle Jang Song Thaek. According to the Times, Jang was considered the second-most powerful man in North Korea but was accused of stealing state funds and plotting to overthrow Kim.

Seoul's spy agency said executions are carried out publicly, and a crowd is sometimes assembled to watch the execution. Anti-aircraft machine guns are often used for added effect, Yonhap reported.