The son and heir apparent to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il joined a delegation of senior military officials for a top-secret, week-long visit to China in mid-June in spite of Beijing's claims that no such trip occurred.
The visit was intended to shore up support for the inexperienced Kim Jong-woon, Mr Kim's 26-year old son, and reassure North Korea's closest ally that a smooth leadership transition is already under way, military, intelligence and diplomatic sources have told the Financial Times.
The Swiss-educated Mr Kim has apparently been given the title “bright leader”, following a tradition in which his father is known as the “dear leader” and his grandfather Kim Il-sung, late founder of the totalitarian Stalinist state, is referred to as the “great leader”.