By Kim Se-jeong


Last week, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that local party meetings were held in nine provinces.

The flurry of local-level Workers’ Party gatherings indicates the first full conference in 44 years is imminent.

North Korea watchers in Seoul had forecast that the meeting could be held as early as Saturday. But since the North had only hinted it would be held in “early September” and considering that the country’s founding day falls on Sept. 9, the prevailing opinion is that the meeting will most likely take place today.

Much attention is being paid to whether the party will offer Kim Jong-il’s third son, Jong-un, a key party position. If that happens, analysts say, it will be official confirmation that a third generation dynastic succession is underway.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il also officially debuted in a similar fashion. Upon entering the party in 1964, he was given the role of instructor and section chief to the Party Central Committee. He was only in his early 20s, younger than Jong-un, who is thought to be in his late 20s. At a party congress in 1980, Kim was elevated to the senior posts of the political and military commissions as well as the party secretariat, clinching his role as successor to his father, Kim Il-sung.

He later assumed other top posts including chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission and the general secretary of the party.

Kim Jong-il is believed to have scripted a similar succession scenario for his son, and is working to lay the foundation for the eventual transfer.

The most visible effort was his sudden clandestine trip to China late last month. The second visit in less than four months came as former U.S. President Jimmy Carter arrived in Pyongyang to free a detained American.

While the purpose of Kim’s trip and the details of his summit with Chinese President Hu Jintao remain uncomfirmed, many speculate he made the trip to win China’s support for the succession process.

Jong-un was believed to have accompanied his father, yet was nowhere to be found in publicized photos and video footage.

Party conferences have been held only twice before — in 1958 and 1966. In 1958, the country’s economic development plans and a restructuring of the party system were discussed. In 1966, the party’s top position had its name changed to “general secretary.”