North Korea's Kim Jong-un named marshal
Kim Jong-un became North Korea's leader after his father died in late 2011
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been given the title of marshal, state media has announced.
The move followed a high-level military reshuffle in which army chief Ri Yong-ho was removed ''due to illness'' and a little-known general promoted.
Marshal is the highest military rank and would cement Mr Kim's control over the army, reports say.
Kim Jong-un inherited the leadership of North Korea from his father, Kim Jong-il, who died in December 2011.
The title of marshal was previously held by the late Mr Kim, who received a posthumous promotion to the rank of generalissimo in February, when the country marked his 70th birthday.
''A decision was made to award the title of Marshal of the DPRK [North Korea] to Kim Jong-un, supreme commander of the Korean People's Army,'' the KCNA statement said.
The decision was jointly made by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, the National Defence Commission of the DPRK [North Korea] and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK [North Korea], the statement said.
Analysis
The new North Korean regime appears to be in the midst of its first reshuffle.
State media has announced three key military appointments and demotions in the past few days. The removal of army chief Ri Yong-ho from all his official posts was quickly followed by the promotion to vice-marshal of little-known army general Hyon Yong-chol. And now the leader of North Korea himself, Kim Jong-un, has taken the top military position of marshal.
Taken together, the shifts are leading to speculation that Kim Jong-un is consolidating his authority over the military - North Korea's key instrument of internal control and external leverage.
The military was given much greater prominence during his father's rule - Kim Jong-il initiated a policy of "military first" - and there was a great deal of discussion when Kim Jong-un took over of whether the army would continue to dominate.
Whether Kim Jong-un's new title signals the continuation of business as usual in North Korea or a wish to initiate change, it confirms one thing: that keeping control in North Korea means keeping control of the army.
This latest promotion is another sign that Kim Jong-un is planning to rule North Korea through the army, just as his father did - and that he is tightening his grip on the levers of power, says the BBC's Lucy Williamson in Seoul.
Power 'reconstitution'Ri Yong-ho, 69, who was a vice-marshal, was also vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission and held top posts in the ruling Workers' Party.
His removal took many North Korea observers by surprise, with widespread scepticism at the official explanation.
He was seen as a key figure in the recent transition of power to the young leader.
A day after Mr Ri's removal, Pyongyang appointed a new vice-marshal, Hyon Yong-chol, of whom little is known except that he was made a general in 2010.
''What we are seeing is a reconstitution of the North Korea leadership from the old guard who were loyal to Kim's father to a new guard,'' Jasper Kim of the Asia Pacific Global Research Group told the BBC.
In a rare move, state media released a statement on Wednesday morning saying an important announcement was due shortly before the news of Kim Jong-un's appointment.
North Korea: The inner circle?
- Very little is known about the key figures close to Kim Jong-un but a handful of names stand out
- Kim Kyong-hui, Kim Jong-il's sister, and her husband Jang Song-thaek, both of whom hold multiple titles
- Choe Ryong-hae, who holds top military and party titles
- Choe Yong-rim, an elder statesman frequently seen in public
- Hyon Yong-chol, the new vice-marshal appointed after army chief Ri Yong-ho was removed
This, analysts say, could be another signal that the young leader, believed to be in his late 20s, is painting a slightly different image for himself from that of his father.
Kim Jong-un is a ''young person raised in the era of the internet'' and was educated abroad in Switzerland, Jasper Kim pointed out.
He has recently been photographed with a ''mystery woman'', leading to speculation over her identity. Pyongyang has not released any details about her, and it is not known if Mr Kim is married.
Mr Kim and those around him are being keenly watched for the direction in which they will take the communist state.
North Korea - which remains technically at war with South Korea - conducted nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009, since when international talks on ending its nuclear ambitions have been stalled.
It also launched a rocket in April, saying it wanted to put a satellite into orbit. The US and North Korea's neighbours said the launch - which failed - was a long-range missile test that violated UN resolutions.
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