Intelligence authorities are looking into the possibility that the commander of the North Korean army's Fourth Corps, General Kim Kyok-sik, will be replaced.

An intelligence official in Seoul said Thursday that related authorities are closely watching for any signs of Kim's replacement. The official said the general has recently been spotted in events unrelated to the Fourth Corps, including in North Korean media.

Kim was appointed in 2009 to lead the Fourth Corps, and is believed to have been involved in the North’s sinking of South Korea's Cheonan naval ship and shelling of Yeonpyeong Island.