North Korea purges Kim Jong Un's powerful uncle

North Korea announced Monday it had sacked leader Kim Jong Un's uncle, long considered the country's No. 2 power, saying corruption, drug use, gambling, womanizing and generally leading a "dissolute and depraved life" had caused Pyongyang's highest-profile fall from grace since Kim took power two years ago, according to USA Today.

The firing is the latest and most significant in a series for Kim, who is said to be attempting to bolster power after his father's death in 2011. Some say, however, the expulsion of such a senior figure could lead to instability and a possible power struggle.

The allegations against Jang Song Thaek, 67, couldn't be independently confirmed, and there was no mention of further punishment for him, according to an Associated Press report published in USA Today.

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