North Korea leader’s son may be appointed successor

The Worker’s Party has not held a meeting in decades, and observers believe that Kim is trying to seal the family dynasty amid rumours that his son, Kim Jong-un, will be his successor.

The succession is being closely watched because of the North's nuclear programme and hostility with the South.

The nomination of Kim Jong-il’s third and youngest son as a four-star general, the first time he was mentioned by name in State media, raised eyebrows due to his lack of military experience.

Jong-il, 68, is reportedly suffering from illness, and is believed to have suffered a stroke two years ago.

The Workers Party meeting, with a stated aim of installing a new leadership team, has now opened and with Kim Jong-il visibly frail and sick, speculation has been mounting that this meeting is designed to officially anoint Kim Jong-un as his chosen successor.

The theory is given added weight because Kim Jong-il himself was anointed in this way by his own father, during the last major party event in 1980.

If Kim Jong-un is now given a senior party position to complement his newly-bestowed military rank it will be a strong sign that the authoritarian state really does intend to continue its quasi-religious leadership cult for another generation.

Little is known of Swiss-educated Kim Jong-un, thought to be in his mid-20s. Kim Jong-il became leader when his father died in 1994 and under his leadership, the country's isolation from the outside world has become entrenched.