Kim’s son gets N Korea defence post
Youngest son of North Korean leader appointed to powerful defence commission.
Growing speculation
The reclusive nation’s next leader has been the focus of intense media speculation since Kim reportedly suffered a stroke last summer.
Kim has ruled with absolute authority since Kim Il-sung, his father died in 1994, leading to the communist world’s first hereditary power succession.
He has allowed no opposition, raising concerns about a power struggle if he dies suddenly without naming a successor.
The leader has three known sons by two women. The oldest, Kim Jong-nam, was long considered his favourite – until he was caught trying to sneak into Japan using a fake Dominican passport to visit the Disney resort in 2001.
The middle son, Kim Jong-chol, apparently has never been a favourite as a possible successor.