North Korea dismissed Defense Minister No Kwang Chol and carried out a broad reshuffle of its military and ruling party leadership after approving a structural reorganization plan. The changes were approved at a Saturday meeting chaired by Kim Jong Un and reported by state media KCNA on Sunday. No Kwang Chol was reassigned as first deputy director of the ruling party’s munitions industry department.

Kim Song Gi, director of the Korean People’s Army General Political Bureau, was appointed the new defense minister. Senior official and defense adviser Pak Jong Chon was named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission and made a member of the ruling party’s Political Bureau. KCNA also said several other military and party officials were promoted.

The reshuffle coincided with Pyongyang’s claims of progress in defense technology. Kim praised scientists, researchers and officials at a Saturday ceremony and awarded them the country’s highest state honor for contributions to new weapons systems, though no details were provided. South Korea, the United States and Japan are scheduled to hold the Freedom Edge trilateral exercise from September 7 to 11 in international waters east and south of Jeju Island.