A North Korean official has reportedly been executed by flamethrower, as part of an apparent purge against supporters of Kim Jong-un’s uncle.
Jang Song-tank was killed by the regime in December after it accused him of corruption and disloyalty. Since then as many as 11 senior party officials have been killed or sent to prison camps, the UK Telegraph said.
The Telegraph cited a report in South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo newspaper saying that O Sang-hon, a deputy minister at the Ministry of Public Security, was “executed by flamethrower.”
The paper said the shocking punishment was handed down after the official helped Jang turn the ministry into a personal security division to help safeguard his business interests.
Although the report has not been independently verified, North Korea has a track record for cruel and bizarre punishments.
In 2012, a high-ranking army official accused of drunkenness during the official mourning period after the death of Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-un’s father, was blown up with a mortar round after Kim Jong-un gave orders to leave “no trace of him behind, down to his hair,” the Telegraph reported.
This article originally appeared on News.com.au.