Kim Jong Un

Little is known about Kim Jong Un, the nominated "great successor" to North Korean leader Kim Jong Il who died on Saturday.

He is apparently in his late 20s and went to school in Switzerland. He has a smattering of English, German and French and is described as being "pleasant and friendly," according to North Korea expert Werner Pfennig at Berlin's Free University.

"He is the kind of person who will settle arguments among classmates, someone who can speak foreign languages and is a big basketball fan. But these are not necessarily criteria for running a country."

And not necessarily criteria for impressing North Korea's party apparatus and military elite.

Grooming the 'coming generation'

During their last joint trip to China, father and son made a pilgrimage to the places his grandfather Kim Il Sung, founder of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and enshrined in the constitution as the "Eternal Leader," had visited. Experts interpreted the trip as Kim Jong Il's attempt to legitimize his son as his successor and hint at another father-son succession. He told his Chinese interlocutors that it was important to prepare the "coming generation."

On Monday, just a year after being made general and being brought into the public eye as the heir apparent, Kim Jong Un was declared the "Great Successor."

"All party members, military men and the public should faithfully follow the leadership of comrade Kim Jong Un and protect and further strengthen the unified front of the party, military and the public," a female announcer, clad in black, said on television after announcing the death of Kim Jong Il.

Last time was slightly different, says Pfennig, with Kim Il Sung dying 14 years after naming his successor during which time he “gradually retreated from daily political life."

What comes next?

The question now is whether the transition of power will be a smooth one. Experts believe older party cadres might be unwilling to support such a young and inexperienced leader.

The army could also challenge Kim Jong Un's authority. It is thought that a group of influential people will be put in place to advise the young man behind the scenes and maintain their grip on power.

Outside of North Korea, there is some optimism that Kim Jong Un will be more inclined to cooperate with the international community.

"I am hopeful that the transition of power will be accompanied by more political pragmatism," says Pfennig, adding that this would make sense for all involved parties. "The whole region would benefit from a degree of normalization on the Korean Peninsula."

Author: Ana Lehman / act
Editor: Sarah Berning