North Korea has officially confirmed the replacement of the country's former defense minister Hyon Yong-chol who is believed to have been executed earlier this year.
 
In a report on high-level military talks with Laos held in Pyongyang Saturday, the North's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) addressed Park Yong-sik as the head of the Ministry of the People’s Armed Forces, which is equivalent to South Korea’s defense minister.
 
In a KCNA report on June 15, Park was named right after director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, Hwang Pyong-so, raising speculation that Park was appointed as the North’s new defense minister.
 
Park was promoted to a four-star general in May right after Hyon was executed.