North Korean Leader's Uncle 'Executed Over Corruption'!
State TV had broadcast footage of Mr Chang being removed from a public party meeting by armed guards
The once-powerful uncle of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been executed after being purged for corruption, state news agency KCNA reports.
Chang Song-thaek was dramatically removed from a Communist Party session by armed guards earlier this week.
He was accused of forming factions against the state, corruption and "depraved" acts such as womanising and drug abuse.
It was the biggest upheaval since Mr Kim succeeded his father two years ago.
KCNA said Mr Chang had been executed immediately after a military trial on Thursday, calling him a "traitor" and accusing him of seeking to overthrow the state.
Mr Chang was seen as a major power broker in North Korea, and had mentored Mr Kim as he took over the leadership of the secretive, tightly controlled country.
Analysts say his fall from grace could be seen as the latest in a series of carefully calibrated moves to demonstrate Kim Jong-un's authority and an assertion of his independence.
As news of his purge emerged, South Korean President Park Geun-hye warned the North was "carrying out a reign of terror" to reinforce Mr Kim's position.
She said the volatile relationship between the two countries was likely to become "more unstable" as a result.
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