The North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un had his uncle torn apart by hungry dogs after deciding to execute him for treason, a report from China claims.

Kim Jong-un called his uncle a dog when he denounced him for treason in December, and according to a horrific report from China, Kim used dogs to execute him too.

Political opponents in North Korea are normally executed by firing squad, but Kim killed Jang Song Thaek in a much more barbaric way, claims a paper close to the Chinese government.

Kim had his 67-year-old uncle and former deputy leader stripped naked and placed in a cage with five of his aides. Some 120 dogs, which had been starved for three days, were put in with them and the six were torn to pieces over the course of an hour. It is known as “quan jue”, or execution by dog, said the Straits Times.

The report also alleges that Kim watched the execution with 300 aides until the six “were completely eaten up”.

Jang Song Thaek was Kim’s uncle as well as his second-in-command and had served as a mentor to young leader in the year after he took control of the country in 2011.

In December, Jang was pulled out of a government meeting and days later convicted of treason. “Jang and his followers committed criminal acts baffling imagination,” said the North Korean national media KCNA.

Jang had served as a diplomat to China and it is noted in the Straits Times that several of his listed offences included trade deals with China that were favourable to the Chinese.

Chinese anger

The barbarity of the story and the sourcing to a paper known as a mouthpiece of the Chinese government – the Straits Times cites Wen Wei Po as the source – suggest that the mood at the top of China has turned against Mr Kim’s government.

The reportage from Wen Wei Po includes a litany of complaints against Kim and North Korea.

Thaek was close to China and had been vital part of Chinese strategy to open North Korea’s economy and bring stability to the region. His sudden removal from power took out a key Chinese influence on the North Korean leadership.

Whatever the nature of Thaek’s execution, his removal has angered China.

Now, the Straits Time writes: “China’s political and strategic influence on the Korean peninsula has been drastically reduced. China was widely considered to be able to rein in the unruly Kim regime, thus acting as a force for peace in the region. But it now appears China’s influence over its neighbour is close to zero.”

China is the rogue state’s only international ally.