Son hailed as 'great successor'

BEIJING - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) is calling Kim Jong-il's son a "great successor" to the country's guiding principle of self-reliance, as the country rallies around Kim Jong-un as its next leader.

As the people of the DPRK mourn the death of Kim Jong-il, the nation's official media called on them to rally around Kim Jong-un, who is in his late 20s and was last year made a four-star general and appointed to a top post in the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK).

The DPRK's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the country, people and military "should remain loyal to the guidance of respected Kim Jong-un".