North Korea: Kim Jong-un fires party officials days after deal with South Korea

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has sacked some members of the ruling party's Central Military Commission without divulging any reasons. Alongside, Kim praised the latest agreement with South Korea, calling it a "landmark" deal.

The sacking of party members, which came at a meeting of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), has been seen as punishment for allowing the recent standoff with South Korea to spiral out of control. Pyongyang's state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the meeting "dismissed some members of the WPK Central Military Commission and appointed new ones and dealt with an organisational matter".

Tensions increased between the rival Koreas over a landmine explosion which maimed two South Korean soldiers. Though North Korea initially denied a hand in the incident, the reclusive nation later expressed "regret", allowing the neighbours to reach a deal in the truce village of Panmunjom.

Despite praising the accord with the South, Kim claimed the deal was reached because of Pyongyang's nuclear muscle.

Kim, who is thought to be in his early 30s, said: "Under the touch-and-go situation the WPK displayed correct leadership art by steering the whole country, all the people and the service personnel, and made resolute decisions and set forth strategic policies for putting the difficult situation under control." He said the agreement "was by no means something achieved on the negotiating table but thanks to the tremendous military muscle with the nuclear deterrent for self-defence".