Party to meet to rally behind new DPRK leader

SEOUL / BEIJING - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea said on Monday its ruling party will hold a special conference in April, aiming to wrap up the power transfer to new national leader Kim Jong-un.

Kim took power when his father, longtime leader Kim Jong-il, died in December from a heart attack.

Kim Jong-un has been proclaimed the "great successor" but has so far been formally appointed to only one of the late Kim's posts, commander-in-chief of the military.

The meeting will be held in mid-April, close to the 100th anniversary of the birth of late founding president Kim Il-sung.

The DPRK last held a party conference in September 2010, its biggest political meeting for 30 years.

That meeting appointed Kim Jong-un as vice-chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea's central military commission in preparation for the eventual handover of power.

The April meeting is very likely to appoint Kim to his father's old post of party general secretary and also as chief of its military commission, said Paik Hak-soon of the Republic of Korea's Sejong Institute think tank.

Kim Jong-un (center), supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, waves as he inspects KPA Unit 169 in this picture released by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's KCNA in Pyongyang on Sunday. [Photo/Agencies]