A group of North Korea's top generals received a fright in September, when a drunken Kim Jong Un asked them to write letters of apology for the country's failure to put a satellite into space.
The North Korean dictator allegedly told the generals during a drunken tirade: “That none of you were able to produce not even one military satellite is a misconduct that is commensurate to treason.”
Political executions have become more common in North Korea under Kim Jong Un, including the execution of military officials. In February the Chief of Staff of the North Korean Army, Gen. Ri Yong-Gil, was reportedly executed on charges of corruption. In 2015, the vice-premier of North Korea, Choe Yong-gon, was reportedly executed for expressing disagreement with Kim Jong Un's forestation policy.
When Kim awoke from his drunken stupor the next day, he reportedly had no recollection of having made the order to the relieved generals.
“Why are you gathered here?” Kim said to the generals. “Be careful about your health because you are all old.”
The generals then reportedly began to cry.
“They were relieved because they thought they were going to be purged,” a source told Japanese newspaper Tokyo Shimbun. "Everyone is showing loyalty out of fear of being executed and no one dares speak against Kim."