Kim shakes up top military brass ahead of Donald Trump meet

North Korea’s top three military officials have been removed from their posts, a senior US official said, a move analysts said could support efforts by the North's young leader to jump-start economic development and engage with the world. 

Kim Jong Un is preparing for a high-stakes summit with US  President Donald Trump in Singapore on June 12, the first such meeting between a North Korean leader and a sitting US president. The US official, who spoke requesting anonymity, was commenting on a report by South Korea's Yonhap news agency that all three of the North's top military officials were believed to have been replaced. 

Kim’s motivation remains unclear but analysts said the shake-up allows him and the ruling party to tighten control over the Korean People's Army at a critical time of international engagement .