PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has rejected speculation in the US and media of the Republic of Korea (ROK) about a recent reshuffling of the country's leadership.

A commentary issued by the official KCNA news agency Friday denounced the two countries' media for spreading rumors about Pyongyang's leadership changes that were announced at a meeting of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

Ri Yong-ho, former vice-marshal and chief of General Staff of the Korean People's Army, was "relieved of all his posts due to his illness" on Sunday and replaced by Hyon Yong-chol one day later.

The KCNC said the rumors claimed there were serious power struggles within the country's leadership, that the WPK had shifted its fundamental line from "military-first policy" to "party-first policy", and illness was not the cause of Ri's removal.

The KCNC dismissed the reports as "wanton infringement on the state sovereignty" and "intolerable insults" to Pyongyang.

The official media also said that there was no change in DPRK's stance to keep on the Songun or military-first policy.