North Korea Defence Chief Hyon Yong-chol

[fsn]

Horrific news today that North Korean Defence Chief Hyon Yong-chol was "executed" with an anti-aircraft gun.

Was I the only one who wondered what kind of gun it was?

Does that make me a bad person? 
 

[Leman]

Yes.

[Westmarcher]

Its quite natural to wonder. For example, even my wife asked me if it was one of these big AA guns you see in the WW2 documentaries. And she's definitely not a bad person. I'm certain you're a better person than the victim. I don't think a good guy gets to be Defence Minister in a regime like that. Most certainly, a better person than its Nero / Caligula like leader. I've not read anything in detail about this event (will we ever get any detail?) but one report said that he failed in a bid to buy arms from Russia so I suspect the AA gun was some old Cold War era weapon like a ZSU (23mm). Maybe executed by the gun he was tasked to replace? I'm sure it was a quick death anyway unlike that suffered by the many thousands murdered by that regime.

P.S. An update - this link obtained via the BBC report suggests a smaller calibre weapon.

http://www.hrnkinsider.org/2015/04/unusual-activity-at-kanggon-military.html

[Techno]

I have to admit I wondered too.

Something that fires 'shells' ?.....Something that fires 'big bullets' ?
I heard that the execution was prompted by the chap falling asleep in some gathering or meeting, and had thus shown disrespect.

As 'Westie' says.....We'll never know the detail, I'm sure.

Cheers - A Bad-Person

[Fenton]

My first thought was that the condemned man had to sit on a drone and the AA gun had to try and shoot him down. My next thought was that maybe the condemned mans family had 10 minutes to avoid the shells while piloting the drone and if they succeeded  by n avoiding being hit then  got a reprieve

[Matt J]

apparently six ZPU-4 used at a range of 30m



Tad over kill

[Fenton]

I wonder if you managed to stand right in the middle of barrels you would be safe. Probably not

[FierceKitty]

Maybe it was a 16th-century hwacha. They're pretty spectacular, and fired at a helicopter as it took off....

[Luddite]

Actually, this seems surprisingly humane given the reports of previous NK execution methods.

After the first salvo hits, its basically an instant kill isn't it?  

Better than being eaten alive by dogs at least.

 

[Matt J]

Reports say they use heavy mortars for executions as well, probably building up to execution by missile strike

[Steve J]

I wondered too. The regime is getting increasingly bizarre in its paranoia, which scares the hell out of me.

[Womble67]

I tell you what we don't realise how lucky we are to live in a civilised country.

Take care

Andy

[Lord Kermit of Birkenhead]

After last Thursday its not are its were......

[Last Hussar]

I had the same thought "quad 50 cal or 2 pound pom-pom" - things only a wargamer could think.

Apparently other people who have been disrespectful - basically pointing out 'Bad Ideas', which is also what this general did - have been executed by mortar. Think about the accuracy there....

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Execution by mortar?
Are you being aimed at, or stood in front of a firing mortar?

However, my immediate thought was, erm, somewhat more ' Wyle E. Coyote'!