Purge proves no one safe in the world according to Kim
Fall of seemingly invincible uncle suggests young leader is still trying to consolidate power
While the rest of North Korea's top brass leapt to their feet before Kim Jong-un, clapping wildly in a requisite show of respect at high-level meetings, his uncle, Jang Song-thaek, often seemed nonchalant, at times even bored.
Once considered the force behind the young leader, he displayed a bold insouciance that seemed calculated to show he was beyond reach.
So by purging his own uncle, Kim has delivered a more chilling message: No one is beyond the rule of law, not even family.
Jang's fall from grace has no doubt spooked Pyongyang's elite. It also suggests Kim is still trying to consolidate the power he inherited from his father two years ago.
It is the first time since the late 1970s that such humiliating pictures of a purged official have been made public, said Yang Moo-jin, of Seoul's University of North Korean Studies.
The message is clear: North Korea does not and will not allow a No 2
"The publication of such images is aimed at showing the world the purge is being led by Kim Jong-un himself," Yang said.