North Korea appoints new senior general New vice-marshal Hyon Yong-chol North Korea has promoted a relatively low-profile general to one of its most senior military ranks, a day after announcing the removal of the army chief, as Kim Jong-eun reshuffles the senior ranks of his regime. State media on Tuesday said Hyon Yong-chol had been promoted to vice-marshal, giving him the same rank as Ri Yong-ho, the powerful army chief of staff who was dismissed from all his official positions following a Politburo meeting on Sunday. Mr Ri had been at the helm of the military during North Korea's aggressive behaviour over the past two years which included a suspected missile test in April this year, and the shelling of South Korea's Yeonpyeong island in November 2010. While the official announcement said Mr Ri was removed because of illness, analysts said his ousting was more likely a sign that Kim Jong-eun, who took over the country following his father's death in December, was seeking to assert his control over the army. "There are several examples [in North Korea] of senior figures being ill and not being removed from office," said Dan Pinkston, a North Korea analyst at the International Crisis Group. Out of respect for the person, they would let the deputy take over [his duties]. Mr Pinkston said that whoever replaced Mr Ri as army chief of staff would "be grateful and beholden" to the new North Korean leader. Although Mr Hyon, who is a member of the Korean Workers party central committee has not been appointed as army chief of staff, the timing of his promotion prompted speculation that he is being positioned as Mr Ri's replacement. Cheong Seong-chang, a fellow at the Sejong Institute, told South Korean media that the fact that the announcement came a day after Mr Ri was dismissed could be seen "as a precursor to the official announcement of his appointment to Ri's former position." Mr Hyon had not been seen at Mr Kim's side during public appearances, but the two men were both promoted to the rank of general in September 2010. Analysts have suggested that Mr Kim is trying to check the power of the elderly generals who rose to prominence under his father, and bring a slightly younger generation of officials into power. While Mr Ri maintained overall control of the military since 2010, Mr Kim returned the army to direct civilian control in April by subordinating Mr Ri to Choi Ryong-hae, the newly appointed director of the general political bureau. Unlike Mr Ri, Mr Choi - whose position entails maintaining the regime's ideological hold over the army - is not a career soldier. In a personal statement, Mr Kim this week praised the military for their work, in an intervention that was probably intended to reaffirm his personal control over the army, according to Mr Pinkston. Additional reporting by Chung Yeonsoo