NORTH Korea has reportedly executed its army chief of staff Ri Yong-gil, the latest in a series of executions, purges and disappearances under dictator Kim Jong-un.

Ri, who was chief of the Korean People’s Army General Staff, was executed this month for corruption and “factional conspiracy”, Yonhap and other South Korean media reported.

A source familiar with North Korean affairs confirmed the news to Reuters, although South Korea’s National Intelligence Service declined to comment.

The North rarely issues public announcement related to purges or executions of high-level officials.

The news comes amid heightened tension surrounding the rogue nation after its Sunday launch of a long-range rocket, which came about a month after it drew international condemnation for conducting its fourth nuclear test.

A rare official confirmation of a high-profile execution came after Jang Song-Thaek, leader Kim Jong-un’s uncle and the man who was once considered the second most powerful figure in the country, was executed for corruption in 2013.

In May last year, the North executed its defence chief by anti-aircraft gun at a firing range, the South’s spy agency said in a report to members of parliament.

The North’s military leadership has been in a state of perpetual reshuffle since Kim Jong-un took power after the death of his father in 2011. He has changed his armed forces chief several times since then.

Some other high-ranking officials in the North have been absent from public view for extended periods, fuelling speculation they may have been purged or removed, only to resurface.