South Korea’s intelligence agency suspects North Korea's ruling party recently punished a number of the country's top military officers, including a top aide to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.  

In a briefing before the National Assembly’s Intelligence Committee on Monday, the National Intelligence Service(NIS) said it acquired intelligence that Choe Ryong-hae, a vice chairman of the North’s ruling Workers' Party,  has been spearheading an inspection on the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army(KPA).

According to Representative Kim Byung-kee of the ruling Democratic Party, the NIS said the North’s ruling party took issue with impertinent attitudes within the political bureau, noting it's the first time in 20 years that such an inspection has been undertaken against the bureau. 

The NIS said it's focusing on intelligence that indicates Hwang Pyong-so, director of the political bureau, and vice director Kim Won-hong were punished.