Kim Jong II’s son elevated to defense post

SEOUL, S. Korea - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il‘s youngest son has reportedly been named to the powerful National Defense Commission, an appointment analysts said indicates the 26-year-old is being groomed to take power.

Kim Jong Un speaks English, likes basketball – and is said to look and act just like his father.

The reclusive, nuclear-armed communist nation’s next leader has been the focus of intense media speculation since Kim, 67, reportedly suffered a stroke last summer.

Kim has ruled with absolute authority since his father, Kim Il Sung, died in 1994, leading to the communist world’s first hereditary power succession.

Kim Jong Il has allowed no opposition, raising concerns about a power struggle if he dies suddenly without naming a successor.