Kim Jung-un officially the head of North Korea‘s military

North Korea’s new leader, Kim Jong-un, has been formally named supreme commander of the country‘s armed forces, state media said. Kim Jong-un, who took over after the death of his father Kim Jong-il earlier this month, was appointed at a meeting on Friday, KCNA news agency said.

The move is seen as a clear sign that the young leader is fast consolidating power over North Korea.

The appointment, which puts the young Kim in charge of the world’s fourth largest army, was made in accordance with a will written by Kim Jong-il on 8 October, the news agency said. In a statement, the news agency referred to him for the first time as “Great Leader” - regarded as a clear message of continuity of the regime of his late father.

However, the transition was not complete, leaving regional neighbours fearful of a power struggle in the nuclear-armed pariah state.

Kim Jong-un inherits 1.2 million-strong military and a national policy known as the Songun, which prioritizes the welfare of the armed forces over civilians.

The appointment, which may bring more stability to the region, many also mean that if a power struggle does erupt within the hermit kingdom, military forces may become dragged into it, unleashing what maybe a civil war between two parts of the same dictatorship.

(아주경제 앤드류 이 기자)

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com