North Korea's Kim Jong Il made his elusive youngest son a four-star general in a major promotion seen Tuesday as confirmation that he is slated to become the country's next leader. 
 
 In this image made from 1980 file television footage, delegates gather at the Workers' Party of Korea convention, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The ruling Workers' Party held a historic political convention... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this 1966 image made from file television footage, delegates clap at North Korea's Congress of Workers' Party of Korea, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The ruling Workers' Party held a historic political... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this image made from 1980 file television footage, then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung addresses delegates at the Workers' Party of Korea convention, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The ruling Workers'... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this photo released by Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service, delegates to the ruling Worker's Party meeting make their way upon arriving at Pyongyang station, North Korea, on Monday Sept.... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this image made from 1980 file television footage, Kim Jong Il applauds while attending the Workers' Party of Korea convention, in Pyongyang, North Korea. The official Korean Central News Agency announced... (Associated Press) 
 
 The announcement appeared in state media hours before a historic Workers' Party meeting Tuesday where Kim, 68 and apparently in deteriorating health, was expected to grant son Kim Jong Un and other family members top posts in plans to take the communist dynasty into a third generation. 
 
 The North Korean capital was in a festive mood, with banners and placards celebrating the meeting, the communist country's biggest political gathering in 30 years. 
 
 It was state media's first mention of Kim Jong Un, who has remained so well hidden from the outside world that not even his face or exact age can be confirmed. He is believed to be 27 or 28, and is said to have been schooled in Switzerland and educated at Kim Il Sung Military University in Pyongyang. 
 
 However, it is clear that "Kim Jong Un's promotion is the starting point for his formal succession to power," said Kim Yong-hyun, a North Korea expert at Seoul's Dongguk University. 
 
 "It's clearly the biggest news we've had from North Korea since the death of Kim Il Sung," said Peter Beck, a Council on Foreign Relations-Hitachi research fellow at Keio University in Tokyo. 
 
 "I think it clearly demonstrates that Kim Jong Il is committed to maintaining control of the country within his family," he said. 
 
 The appointment also appears aimed at putting the son at the helm of his father's "songun," or military-first, policy. He is expected to take up other top military jobs such as commander of the 1.2 million-member military, analyst Cheong Seong-chang of the private Sejong Institute think tank said. 
 
 The secrecy surrounding the succession process is typical of the communist country, and reminiscent of Kim Jong Il's own rise to power. 
 
 Kim Jong Il was 31 when he won the No. 2 post in the ruling Workers' Party in 1973, an appointment seen as a key step in the path to succeeding his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung. 
 
 The following year, Kim was formally tapped as the future leader but state media did not reveal that to the outside world until the landmark 1980 convention, the last big political meeting in North Korea. 
 
 He took over as leader in 1994 when his father died of heart failure in what was communism's first hereditary succession. 
 
 It's not known what kind of party position Kim Jong Un might be granted. Some predict he'll win the same post his father took 37 years ago: party secretary authorized to supervise party members and appoint top party, government and military officials. 
 
 However, the younger Kim may not have the benefit of 20 years of training like his father. 
 
 Kim Jong Il, said to be suffering from diabetes and a kidney ailment, reportedly had a stroke in August 2008, sparking fears about instability and a possible power struggle in the nuclear-armed country if he were to die without anointing a successor. 
 
 Kim has two other sons but the youngest is said to be his favorite. 
 
 However, with Kim Jong Un still in his 20s and politically inexperienced, Kim Jong Il may tap his sister to oversee an eventually transfer of power, experts say. 
 
 Sister Kim Kyong Hui, 64, was among six people promoted to general along with Kim Jong Un, and her name was listed ahead of Kim Jong Un's in the Korean Central News Agency report. 
 
 "There is a possibility that she could play the role of a coordinator to make sure the power succession goes smoothly," analyst Cheong said. 
 
 She and her husband, Jang Song Thaek, appointed vice chairman of the all-powerful National Defense Commission in June, also are expected to win key political appointments that would allow them to act as advisers to the young Kim during his rise to power. 
 
 In a brief announcement Tuesday, a North Korean news reader said "crucial developments" were taking place at the political convention under way in Pyongyang and that Kim Jong Il was re-elected to the party's top position of general secretary to delegates' cheers of "Hurrah." 
 
 "His re-election is an expression of absolute support and trust of all the party members, the servicepersons and the people in Kim Jong Il," KCNA said, calling it a "historic" event. 
 
 The convention, initially set for early September, appears to have been delayed by several weeks amid speculation that Kim's health or damage from flooding and typhoons may have forced the postponement. 
 
 "This meeting of the delegates is an important occasion for further strengthening the solidarity of our army, our party, and our people, who are rallying behind the great Gen. Kim Jong Il," Kim Chang Gyong, an assistant professor at North Korea's Academy of Social Sciences, told broadcaster APTN. 
 
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 Associated Press writers Kelly Olsen, Kwang-tae Kim and Jean H. Lee contributed to this report. ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Footage from the conference was aired on state-run TV 
 
 North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Kim Jong-un, has been appointed a general, amid rumours he is being anointed as successor. 
 
 State television said the elder Kim had been re-elected as leader, at the start of a meeting of the ruling party. 
 
 The Workers' Party has not met for decades and observers believe Kim Jong-il may be cementing the family dynasty. 
 
 The succession is being closely watched because of the North's nuclear programme and hostility with the South. 
 
 Kim Jong-il and the handover of power Aged 68, Kim Jong-il is said to be frail 
 
 Groomed as successor to father, Kim Il-sung, from mid-1970s 
 
 Given military role and position in Workers' Party secretariat in 1980 
 
 Finally became leader in 1994 on father's death Guide: Secretive 'first family' 
 
 Lack of experience 
 
 The announcement about Kim Jong-un is his first mention by name in state media and is reminiscent of his father's rise to prominence which began in the mid-1970s. 
 
 Little is known of him other than that he was educated in Switzerland and is around 27 years of age. 
 
 He is being elevated to the post of four-star general without military experience and despite being Kim Jong-il's third and youngest son. 
 
 His elder brother and half-brother appear to have been ruled out of the running for the succession. 
 
 The state television announcer was quoted as saying that his father had been reappointed as general secretary of the Workers' Party as an "expression of absolute support and trust". 
 
 She said a "crucial" development was under way but gave no further details. 
 
 The state news agency said the leader had been re-appointed with "the unanimous will and wishes" of North Koreans. 
 
 The statement described Kim Jong-il's "immortal exploits" and said they would "shine long in the history of the country" as he developed the ruling party of his late father, Kim Il Sung. 
 
 Kim Jong-il's sister, Kyong-hui, has also been named a four-star general, announced the state-run Korean Central News Agency. Kyong-hui is married to Chang Song-taek, seen by some analysts as North Korea's second-most powerful leader. 
 
 A long-time aide to the Kim family, Choe Ryong-Hae, was also appointed a general. 
 
 Ill health 
 
 Analysis 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, the country's first and now "eternal" president, 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. Final confirmation would come if the enigmatic young man's portrait appears alongside that of his father and grandfather in every home and workplace. Will Kim name successor? 
 
 Kim Jong-il, 68, is reported to be suffering from several illnesses. He is believed to have had a stroke two years ago, and has travelled to China for treatment. 
 
 Neither Pyongyang nor Beijing have publicly commented on rumours surrounding his health. 
 
 A US official said it was too soon to tell what was happening inside North Korea's leadership, but the United States was watching developments "carefully". 
 
 Reports from South Korea on Monday suggested that the military had nominated Kim Jong-un as a delegate for the conference. 
 
 The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted an unnamed North Korean source as saying a propaganda campaign had already begun to raise Kim Jong-un's profile. 
 
 Rumours emerged last year from the secretive state that he was his father's chosen successor. 
 
 Analysts say taking over his father's job would be a huge task for someone with so little experience. 
 
 'Eternal president' 
 
 Images released by the North's state media on Monday showed orderly lines of delegates - some wearing suits, others in military uniform - arriving in Pyongyang. 
 
 The Associated Press reported that the capital was decorated with flags and placards announcing the meeting. 
 
 One poster read: "Warm congratulations to the representatives meeting of the Workers Party of Korea." 
 
 KCNA reported that party delegates visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang on Monday to pay respects to North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, father of Kim Jong-il. 
 
 Kim Il-sung is known as the "eternal president", while Kim Jong-il has styled himself the "dear leader". 
 
 Kim Jong-il became leader when his father died in 1994. 
 
 Under Kim Jong-il, the country's isolation from the outside world has become entrenched. 
 
 Mr Kim has built up a personality cult around his family, while North Korea's economy has all but ceased to function and its people suffer from frequent food shortages.
– North Korea-watchers say Kim Jong Il has sent his clearest signal yet that he intends for his youngest son to lead the country after his death. State media announced the promotion of Kim Jong Un to four-star general today as the country's biggest political summit in 30 years began, the BBC reports. Dear Leader also made his sister a general, a move observers say suggests he feels his Swiss-educated son, believed to be around 27, needs a mentor. The younger Kim had never before been officially mentioned in North Korean state media. The promotion "is clearly the biggest news we've had from North Korea since the death of Kim Il Sung," a Council of Foreign Relations analyst tells the AP. "I think it clearly demonstrates that Kim Jong Il is committed to maintaining control of the country within his family."