Report: Kim son next in line in N. Korea

PYONGYANG, North Korea, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong II is expected to tab his third son, Jong Un, as his successor, South Korean intelligence officials said in a report.

The South Korean National Intelligence Service said in a report to the National Assembly Intelligence Committee that the predicted move by Kim, 67, would ensure North Korea endures a third generation of Kim family leaders, The Chosun Ilbo said Thursday.

But NIS director Won Sei Hoon, according to claims by South Korean officials, suspects Kim's son, about 25 years old, would only enjoy tenuous control of his country once assuming leadership duties.

Grand National Party lawmaker Lee Cheol Woo and Democratic Party lawmaker Park Young-sun quoted Won in relation to the claim about the next North Korean leader.

The Chosun Ilbo said NIS officials informed the committee such claims in regards to Kim and his successor are been tabbed as "unfounded" in media reports.