PYONGYANG, North Korea, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- North Korea has released the first official photo of Kim Jong Un, heir apparent to the country's leader, observers said Thursday.
The release of the photo is seen as the latest step in the gradual transfer of power from North Korean leader Kim Jong Il to his son, The Guardian reported.
The country's Rodong Sinmun newspaper printed on its front page a photograph of top Workers' Party leaders, among whom the caption listed Kim Jong Un, the British newspaper said.
During a rare party convention that ended this week, the younger Kim was named vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party, appointed to its central committee and given the rank of a four-star general, state media said. Kim Jong Il, 68, thought to be in poor health, was re-elected as party leader during the convention.
Kim Jong Un, believed to be 27 years old, is Kim Jong Il's third son and has been widely seen as the most likely successor.
