Special to WorldTribune.com

By Lee Jong-Heon, East-Asia-Intel.com

Kim Jong-Un’s faster-than-anticipated rise to North Korea’s top leadership suggests that he is vulnerable to possible domestic challenges following the death last month of his father, Kim Jong-Il, who handpicked the son as his successor, officials and analysts in Seoul say.

The junior Kim, who is believed to be 27 or 28 years old, was formally appointed supreme commander of the 1.2-million-strong People’s Army on Dec. 30, 2011, just one day after the nation ended 13 days of mourning for his father who reportedly died of a heart attack at age 69.

The Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party “proclaimed that the dear respected Kim Jong-Un … assumed the supreme commandership of the Korean People’s Army according to the behest of leader Kim Jong-Il on Oct. 8,” Pyongyang’s state media said. “All the participants stood up to welcome him with enthusiastic applause,” added the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

The Dec. 30 politburo meeting also “underlined the need to hold Kim Jong-Un in high esteem as the only center of unity, cohesion and leadership of the Workers’ Party of Korea, devotedly defend him politically and ideologically, and give fuller play to the might of the political and ideological power,” KCNA said.

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  Kim Jong-Il, Kim Jong-Un’s rush of new titles seen betraying vulnerability to challenges, Korean People’s Army, Pyongyang, Workers’ Party