Another indication emerged Tuesday that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il will transfer power to his youngest son in the military promotions reported by the state news agency KCNA.
The report said that Kim has bestowed the title of general on six people, including his youngest son Kim Jong Un.
It was the first time that the name Kim Jong Un, believed to be in his late 20s, has been mentioned in North Korean state media.
The military promotions occurred shortly before the largest meeting of North Korea's communist party - the Workers' Party of Korea - in 30 years, which is to begin later Tuesday in Pyongyang, DPA reported.
The aging Kim, whose health is ailing, is widely expected to announce the succession of leadership at the conference.
Kim Jong Un was elected as a delegate to the conference by the North Korean Army, according to reports on Monday, seen as a stepping stone to membership in the party's central committee that dictates national policies.