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The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) convened the second session of the 13th Supreme People's Assembly on Thursday with major personnel changes.
Hwang Pyong So was elected vice chairman of the National Defense Commission (NDC), the top military body of the country, according to the official KCNA news agency.
Hwang replaced Choe Ryong Hae, currently one of the three-member Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.
Choe was installed as NDC vice chairman and vice chairman of the party's Central Military Commission in April at the first session of the assembly.
The KCNA said Choe was removed from the post of NDC vice chairman and transferred to another post, which it did not specify.
After the change, Hwang is now holding two important posts, vice chairman of the NDC and director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army.
In addition, the assembly elected deputies Hyong Yong Chol and Ri Pyong Chol to take the place of another NDC member Jang Jong Nam.
The top-level personnel changes are made "at the proposal of Marshal Kim Jong Un," the country's top leader.
The session also adopted an ordinance on enforcing 12-year compulsory education.
According to the ordinance, 12-year compulsory education will be enforced free of charge for all children aged from five to 17. It consists of one-year pre-school education, five-year elementary schooling, three-year junior middle schooling and three-year senior middle schooling.
The Supreme People's Assembly, the highest legislative body of the DPRK, is usually convened once or twice a year. The first session of this year held on April 9 and re-elected Kim as the first chairman of the NDC and Pak Pong Ju as premier of the cabinet.
The 13th Supreme People's Assembly elected 687 deputies across the country in March, who will serve a five-year term.
