Kim to lead N. Korea ruling power

PYONGYANG, North Korea, April 1 (UPI) -- Kim Jong Un was formally elected as a delegate to a conference of North Korea's ruling party in a move analysts see as further consolidating his power.

Kim is expected to be named general-secretary of the Worker's Party of Korea at its April 13 conference, which would place him in charge of the nation's political establishment.

Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, held the same position when he was the unquestioned ruler of North Korea. Analysts told South Korea's Yonhap News Agency Sunday the vote was another step in the younger Kim's assumption of power.

Kim was named commander of the military shortly after his father's death last year.