North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son 'made a general'
State media released images of ranks of delegates arriving in Pyongyang
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il's son, Kim Jong-un, has been appointed a general, the country's state media say.
It comes as the ruling party holds its biggest meeting for decades, amid rumours that Kim Jong-il is preparing to cement the family dynasty by anointing his son as successor.
The announcement is the first mention by name in the state's official media of Kim Jong-il's third son.
The 68-year-old leader is reportedly suffering from several illnesses.
He is believed to have had a stroke two years ago, and has travelled to China for treatment on numerous occasions.
Neither Pyongyang nor Beijing have publicly commented on rumours surrounding his health.
The Workers Party meeting, with a stated aim of installing a new leadership team, has now opened, according to reports from Japan's Kyodo and China's Xinhua news agencies.
Analysis
With Kim Jong-il visibly frail and sick, speculation has been mounting that this meeting is designed to officially anoint Kim Jong-un as his chosen successor.
The theory is given added weight because Kim Jong-il himself was anointed in this way by his own father, the country's first and now "eternal" president, during the last major party event in 1980.
If Kim Jong-un is now given a senior party position to complement his newly-bestowed military rank it will be a strong sign that the authoritarian state really does intend to continue its quasi-religious leadership cult for another generation.
Final confirmation would come if the enigmatic young man's portrait appears alongside that of his father and grandfather in every home and workplace.
Kim Jong-il's sister, Kyong-hui, has also been named a general, announced the state-run Korean Central News Agency.
A US official said it was too soon to tell what was happening inside North Korea's leadership, but the United States was watching developments "carefully".
Reports from South Korea on Monday suggested that the military had nominated Kim Jong-un as a delegate for the conference.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper quoted an unnamed North Korean source as saying a propaganda campaign had already begun to raise Kim Jong-un's profile.
Little is known of Swiss-educated Kim Jong-un, thought to be in his mid-20s.
Rumours emerged last year from the secretive state that he was his father's chosen successor.
Analysts say taking over his father's job would be a huge task for someone with so little experience.
'Eternal president'Images released by the North's state media on Monday showed orderly lines of delegates - some wearing suits, others in military uniform - arriving in Pyongyang.
Kim Jong-il has nurtured a personality cult
The Associated Press reported that the capital was decorated with flags and placards announcing the meeting.
One poster read: "Warm congratulations to the representatives meeting of the Workers Party of Korea."
KCNA reported that party delegates visited the Kumsusan Memorial Palace in Pyongyang on Monday to pay respects to North Korean founder Kim Il-sung, father of Kim Jong-il.
Kim Il-sung is known as the "eternal president", while Kim Jong-il has styled himself the "dear leader".
Kim Jong-il became leader when his father died in 1994.
Under Kim Jong-il, the country's isolation from the outside world has become entrenched.
Mr Kim has built up a personality cult around his family, while North Korea's economy has all but ceased to function and its people suffer from frequent food shortages.
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