North Korea's Kim Jong Un fires a vice premier and pledges support for Russia

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un publicly fired a vice premier, criticizing the official's performance on factory projects as incompetent and comparing him to 'a goat yoked to pull an ox cart.' The dismissal comes ahead of a major political meeting in the country.

In a separate development, Kim sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, pledging to continue cooperation between their countries and offering 'unconditional' support for Russia's policies.