* Kim Jong-un's uncle-in-law, vice chairman of the National Defense Commission
* The National Intelligence Service announces the public execution of two key aides last month.
* "Currently under house arrest... nephew and brother-in-law residing overseas summoned"

It appears Jang Song-thaek, vice chairman of North Korea's National Defense Commission and chief of the Central Administrative Department of the Korean Workers'Party is likely to have been dismissed from his position, and his two close aides publicly executed.

As the uncle-in-law of Kim Jong-un, first secretary of the Workers' Party, Jang had been the second-in-command under the Kim Jong-un regime. If Jang has been deposed, we expect major changes in North Korea's domestic power structure.

On December 3, the National Intelligence Service (NIS) made an emergency report to the administrators of the ruling and opposition parties in the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee and said, "We confirmed that the key aides of Jang Song-thaek in the Central Administrative Department of the Korean Workers' Party were publicly executed recently."

According to the intelligence service, North Korea's State Security Department came across allegations of corruption among Jang's close aides this year and had launched an internal investigation.

In late November, North Korea publicly executed Jang's key aides, Ri Ryong-ha, head of the First Division at the Central Administrative Department and Jang Soo-kil, the division's assistant head.

Then it was relayed that North Korea was taking follow-up measures on organizations under Jang's jurisdiction and on related personnel. As for the source of this information, the intelligence service said, "The facts were verified through various credible paths," and added that they could not reveal their source.

According to an NIS analysis, it is likely that Jang was dismissed from all his positions and the Central Administrative Department disabled of its functions or dismantled.

North Korea domestically conveyed the fact that Jang's aides were publicly executed on charges of anti-party actions including corruption, and has conducted ideology education stressing absolute loyalty to First Secretary Kim.

The NIS focused on the fact that their charges were "anti-party" and said, "We believe this was led by the State Security Department or the leaders of the party organization, and given the nature of the incident, this would have been impossible without the approval of Kim Jong-un."

Democratic lawmaker Jung Cheong-rae, who is also the party's administrator in the National Assembly's Intelligence Committee, said, "They say Jang fell behind in a power struggle with Choe Ryong-hae, director of the Korean People's Army's General Political Bureau."

The intelligence agency said that an article in the December 1st issue of the Rodong Sinmun, which urged its readers to "thoroughly establish Kim Jong-un's rule and to join Kim Jong-un’s fate until the end," may have something to do with the recent changes.

One North Korean source said, "From what I know, Jang is currently under house arrest." Word is going around that Jang's brother-in-law, Jon Yong-jin, North Korea's ambassador to Cuba, and nephew Jang Yong-chul, ambassador to Malaysia and the Brunei have also been summoned back to North Korea.

As Kim Jong-un's uncle-in-law, Jang had maintained his position as practically the second-in-command by serving as Kim Jong-un's guardian.

The National Intelligence Service relayed that Jang had refrained from public activities to about half the level of last year's activities when the tides turned against him earlier last year. The government believes that if Jang was in fact deposed, this could trigger a power struggle in North Korea and is closely eyeing the situation in the North.