North Korea's Jang Song Thaek, Kim Jong-un's uncle, executed

North Korea said Friday that it had executed Kim Jong-un's uncle as a traitor for trying to seize supreme power, a stunning end for the leader's former mentor, long considered the country's No. 2.

In a sharp reversal of the popular image of Jang Song Thaek as a kindly uncle guiding leader Kim as he consolidated power, the North's official Korean Central News Agency indicated that Jang instead saw the death of Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, in December 2011 as an opportunity to challenge his nephew and win power.

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