Appointed director of the regime's powerful secret police, the third son of Kim Jong-il is getting ready to replace his father. On 8 January, his "noble birthday" will be officially celebrated.

Seoul (AsiaNews) – Kim Jong-un, the third son and designated heir of North Korea's dictator Kim Jong-il, continues to increase his personal power. After his appointment as director of the State Security Department, the regime's most important and dangerous agency, he will be publicly celebrated on the occasion of his birthday, 8 January. Before him, the North Korean Communist Party had publicly celebrated only the birthday of the current president and his father, the founder of North Korea, Kim Il-sung. The official media has called the event a "noble birthday".

Sources in Korea told AsiaNews, that the figure of the young Kim continues to terrorise the population. Kept secret for two decades by the father, he is considered "cruel and perverse". Many stress his difficult childhood as the cause for his "personal penchant to do evil." Second child born from the dictator's third marriage, Jong-un attended his father's court where he had to cope with older brothers, born from the Dear Leader's first and second marriage, who tried their best to stop his rise in power.

Insiders say that he was cunning and cruel in eliminating the other contenders from the race to the throne; however, the latter appear to accept with good grace his official investiture. Even the current  "first lady" Kim Ok appears to like the young man, even though he is not her son.

Rumours about Kim Jong-il's possible succession began in August 2008 when, according to South Korean sources, the Dear Leader suffered a stroke. Since until then he had not designated a successor, the dictator raised his third son to that status by granting him military honours and raising him within the Party's hierarchy to show his favour. It is certain that in the last six months Kim Jong-un accompanied his father during visits to nuclear plants and army bases.

He has apparently received a personal title, the "Intelligent Leader", thus perpetuating the family dynasty. His father is the "Dear Leader" and his grandfather is the "Eternal Leader".

In fact, the title of the first Kim is the only correct one because according to the North Korean constitution, Kim Il-sung is still the country's president even though he died in 1994.

Now Kim the third's appointed as director of North Korea's infamous secret police gives the heir apparent a lot of real power. Indeed, his father held the post in the past, which is seen by many as a necessary steppingstone in the process of succession.

The last step is expected to be taken this year when the North Korean Workers' Party celebrates its 65th anniversary. On that occasion, Kim Jong-il's choice should be formalised and made public.

• north
• south
• korea
• kim
• jong-il
• kim
• jong-un
• dictatorship
• heir
• appoint
• secret
• police
• communist
• party
• workers