The top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong-il was named general-secretary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) at a crucial conference on Tuesday.

The meeting, the third of its kind in the party's 65-year history and its first in 44 years, was expected to elect the party's highest leading body.

This comes after Kim issued an order on Monday in his capacity as supreme commander of the Korean People's Army, promoting his son Kim Jong-un to general, a military rank next to vice-marshal and above colonel general.