AP: North Korean Official Confirms Succession

A high-ranking North Korean official says Kim Jong Il's younger son will succeed his father as leader of the communist nation.

Associated Press Television News says Yang Hyong Sop confirmed in an exclusive interview that Kim Jong Un is next in line to lead North Korea. Yang is vice president of North Korea's parliament, and a member of the political bureau of the Central Committee of the Worker's Party of Korea, the country's ruling party.APTN says Yang's comments are the first public confirmation the 27-year-old Kim will eventually succeed his father.

Kim Jong Un was named to the Central Committee of the Workers' Party at last week's party conference, and appointed vice-chairman of the party's powerful central military commission. The 27-year-old Kim also received a commission as a four-star general.