Seoul, Sep 29 (DPA) North Korean leader Kim Jong Il Wednesday named his youngest son and potential successor to important ruling party posts, state media reported.
Kim Jong Un was named a member of the Central Committee of the Workers Party and vice chairman of its Central Military Commission, which his father chairs, at the biggest party meeting in 30 years.
Political analysts said they believe the son is being prepared to take power after his father, and in another indication that he is the heir apparent, Kim Jong Il made him a four-star general Tuesday, the day the party meeting began in Pyongyang.
Speculation has swirled around who would take the reins of power in North Korea from Kim Jong Il, 68, after he was believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008.
Little is known about the son, who is about 27, and his elevation to general Tuesday was the first mention of him in state media.
His appointments at the party meeting were similar to the appointments his father received during the previous party meeting in 1980.
He eventually took over from his father when Kim Il Sung died in 1994.
