North Korean media announced on Friday that that country's number two man in the government was executed for his crimes on Thursday, answering the question posed by western media as to what had happened to Jang Song thaek after his being escorted from a Politburo meeting on December 8th.

Thursday’s tribunal and execution brought a swift end to a long, see-sawing political career that spanned three of North Korea’s leaders for the 67-year-old Jang. But, many believe that the execution of Jang is not the end of the purge that seems to be taking place in that communist neighbor of the other Korea to the south. Just the month before, in November, two of Jang’s assistants were publicly executed. Those two were described by North Korean media as stooges and “flatterers” that were helping Jang build an anti-Kim faction within the party.

The future of Jang’s relatives is now in question. Jang’s brother-in-law, who is the ambassador to Cuba, and his nephew, who is ambassador to Malaysia, have been recalled to North Korea. Another, a deputy tourism minister, has cancelled his trip to Taiwan. Two of North Korea’s vice premiers have fled the country after Jang’s arrest. They crossed the border into China in an effort to escape the purge they were sure was going to take place, but China is not expected to provide asylum to the two and risk further damaging an already fraying relationship.

North Korean media has painted Jang as being a womanizing, gambling, self-indulgent man who was leading a capitalist lifestyle. He was also accused of selling off North Korea’s resources cheaply, in an obvious reference to China, who is North Korea’s chief trading partner.

The Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, called Jang “a traitor to the nation for all ages,” bent on overthrowing the leadership of the party and socialist system, and added, “despicable human scum Jang, who was worse than a dog, perpetrated thrice-cursed acts of treachery in betrayal of such profound trust and warmest paternal love shown by the party and the leader for him.”

While there is undoubtedly many removals and executions that have taken place as North Korea’s newest leader, Kim Jong-un, works to cement his power in the poverty-stricken nation, the execution of Jang is unusual in that family members are usually dealt with in a more lenient and quiet manner. Jang was the husband of Kim Jong-un’s aunt, Kim Kyong-hui.

Articles in North Korea with Jang as the main subject, and images of Jang are already being systematically pulled from publications, and images of Jang with other political entities in North Korea are being digitally altered to erase Jang from the pictures as well as North Korean history.