North Korea is planning a major military parade and war games to mark a ruling party anniversary and the emergence of leader Kim Jong-Il's son as heir apparent, South Korea's defence minister said Monday.

Kim Tae-Young, in the first such comment by a Seoul official, said Kim Jong-Un was virtually anointed as eventual successor to his ailing father at last week's ruling party meeting in Pyongyang.

The son is now expected to begin public activities as a successor-in-waiting, the minister said in a report to parliament.

He said the North appears to be using the 65th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party this Sunday to celebrate "the formation of a succession platform" for Jong-Un.

Jong-Un, believed aged about 27, apparently cemented his position as heir when he was appointed four-star general and given key party posts last week. His official photo was published in state media for the first time ever.

Minister Kim said about 15,000 soldiers have been deployed at the Mirim air base near Pyongyang for a large-scale military parade to celebrate the October 10 anniversary.

Preparations are also under way for a major military exercise involving artillery, jet fighters and warships off the eastern port of Wonsan, the minister said.

The exercise, to be watched by Kim Jong-Il, may take place before Sunday, he said.

The North, with 1.2 million standing troops, has often celebrated major political anniversaries with massive displays of troops, missiles and other weapons.

Leader Kim suffered a stroke in August 2008 and has reportedly been speeding up succession planning since then.

The South's Yonhap news agency said Jong-Un accompanied his father on two visits to China this year in preparation for an eventual power transfer.

The son behaved like a bodyguard to his father during the trips in May and August and travelled under an assumed name, it quoted sources on the North as saying.

The North has made some apparent conciliatory gestures to the South in recent weeks, in what some analysts see as an attempt to ease tensions and restart economic assistance during the succession process.

Relations soured dramatically after the South accused the North of torpedoing one of its warships and killing 46 sailors in March. The North denies involvement.

South Korea has staged a series of military drills -- either alone or with the United States -- as a show of force against the North, which denounces the drills as preparations for war.

A five-day joint anti-submarine drill ended last week.

"The US is the arch criminal straining the situation and working hard to spark off a war on the Korean peninsula," party newspaper Rodong Sinmun complained Monday.

earlier related report
N.Korea's heir apparent accompanied father to China: report
Seoul (AFP) Oct 4, 2010 - North Korea's young heir apparent accompanied his father Kim Jong-Il on two visits to China this year in preparation for an eventual power transfer, a report said Monday.

The leader's youngest son behaved like a bodyguard to his ailing father during the trips in May and August and travelled under an assumed name, Yonhap news agency quoted sources on the North as saying.

Jong-Un, believed aged about 27, apparently cemented his position as heir when he was appointed four-star general and given key party posts during last week's rare communist party meeting.

His official photo was published in state media for the first time.

Analysts had speculated that Kim Jong-Il's visit in August was aimed at garnering support for the hereditary power succession from China, the impoverished North's sole major ally and economic lifeline.

"Jong-Un, dressed in a suit, acted as if he was a bodyguard and accompanied Kim Jong-Il closely," Yonhap quoted a source as saying, adding the trip would be used to showcase his loyalty to his father.

But the young protege did not attend key meetings with senior Beijing officials such as the meetings in May and August between Kim Jong-Il and Chinese President Hu Jintao, said the source.

South Korea's National Intelligence Service said it could not confirm the report.

A North Korean ruling party delegation visited Beijing late last week in an apparent move to brief Chinese officials on the party meeting, the largest for 30 years.

Hu on Saturday pledged to strengthen ties with the new leadership in North Korea, saying Beijing would work with them to "promote and expand cooperation" and "strengthen communication" on regional and international issues.

"Now with Kim Jong-Un becoming the de facto next leader, he will soon visit China just like Kim Jong-Il did in the past," said the source quoted by Yonhap.

Kim Jong-Il, after his status as leader-in-waiting was confirmed at a 1980 party meeting, visited China three years later.