PYONGYANG, North Korea — North Korea fueled up a rocket Wednesday in preparation for what appeared to be an imminent liftoff while the country’s young leader strengthened his power, with a new title making him the nation’s top political official.
Kim Jong-Un was named first secretary of the ruling Workers’ Party, a new post, while his late father, longtime leader Kim Jong-Il, was given the posthumous title of “eternal general secretary” at a special Workers’ Party conference, the state-run Korean Central News Agency reported.
Kim Jong-Un’s formal ascension, nearly four months after the death of his father, comes during a week of events leading up to celebrations Sunday marking the 100th anniversary of the birth of his grandfather, late President Kim Il-Sung, who founded the nation in 1948.
North Korea has thrown open its doors to dozens of journalists from around the world to report on the events this week designed not only to honor Kim Il-Sung but also to demonstrate unity as Kim Jong-Un takes power.
One of the marquee events is a satellite launch poised to take place as early as today that has raised international concern about the rocket also being used to deliver a nuclear warhead.
Space officials call the launch of the Unha-3 rocket, mounted with an Earth-observation satellite, a “gift” to Kim Il-Sung. They said Wednesday that the final step of injecting fuel into the rocket was underway in the coastal hamlet of Tongchang-ri.
