North Korean leader Kim Jong Il promotes his youngest son to army general

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has promoted his youngest son to army general in an announcement seen as official confirmation that the young man is being groomed to succeed his father.

Kim Jong Il is believed to have been grooming a son to carry the Kim dynasty into a third generation since suffering a stroke two years ago.

However, with the son still in his 20s, experts say his son is too young and inexperienced to fully take the reins.

Tim Peters from the NGO "Helping Hands" says there are doubts about Kim Jong Un's ability to act alone.

"In many ways, he's grown up with a siliver spoon in his mouth," Peters said. "he hasn't really had any experience, that I'm aware of, on the ground or to have any concept whatsoever of the actual suffering that's going on by the rank and file of the North Korean population."