North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son, Jong-un, has been given the rank of general, the country's official media said today in the first mention of the young son who is considered heir to the
dynastic state.
Leader Kim, who is believed to be in deteriorating health, also named his sister, Kyong-hui, general in appointments, KCNA news agency said.
Jong-un, thought to be born in 1983 or 1984 and educated in Switzerland, is the youngest of Kim's three known sons and had never been mentioned in the secretive North's official media.
North Korea's ruling Workers' Party of Korea has called a rare meeting tomorrow in a move analysts had expected would signal the start of the succession process of the leader's son.
Earlier, North Korea's military nominated the third son of ailing leader Kim Jong-il as a delegate to the meeting, a South Korean newspaper reported.
In North Korea, the backing of the army is seen as vital in a smooth power transition, particularly given the younger Kim's inexperience.
Kim Jong-un, believed to be in his mid-20s, is expected to be anointed eventual successor at a Workers' Party conference starting tomorrow, when commentators expect he will be given his first official role.
Chosun Ilbo cited sources as saying the army had nominated both the father and son as its delegates to the biggest party meeting in three decades.
Regional powers will all be watching for clues as to how the transfer of power proceeds in the country with enough fissile material for at least six to eight nuclear weapons, as well as a military with nearly 1.2 million combat-ready troops.
Kim Jong-il, who is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008, has called the conference to elect the party's "supreme leadership body", in a move experts say is part of an overall plan to map out the family's continued rule.
Tensions have soured on the peninsula since conservative South Korean president Lee Myung-bak took office in 2008, demanding an end to its nuclear ambitions in return for massive aid and investment from the south.
Relations deteriorated further this year after the South, with US backing, accused the North of torpedoing one of its navy ships, killing 46 sailors. Pyongyang denies the charge and threatened to retaliate by force if Seoul imposed sanctions.
The North has made conciliatory gestures in recent weeks, engaging in dialogue with the South over flood aid and family reunions, and also indicating it was willing to restart talks with regional powers aimed at ending its nuclear arms projects in return for economic aid.
The last WPK meeting in 1980 marked the start of Mr Kim's own succession, when he himself began his official role to succeed his father and state founder, Kim Il-sung, by taking on a Workers' Party title at the age of 38.
But his father, now 68, is not expected to retire just yet despite declining health, experts say, because his son is considered too young to take over.
Intelligence sources said the North's top military and party officials have been asked to pledge loyalty to Jong-un but the public is still in the dark about his future role, never having even been informed that Kim Jong-il has sons.
In the event Kim Jong-il dies suddenly, analysts expect a collective leadership centred on Jong-un and his uncle Jang Song-taek, who is expected to be promoted to a senior role during the meeting. Experts say Jang will likely act as regent until Jong-un is fully ready to take over.
Agencies