SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) named a brother-in-law of leader Kim Jong-il to a powerful military post on Monday and sacked its premier in moves seen as consolidating Kim's grip on power and paving the way for his youngest son to succeed him.

DPRK leader Kim Jong-il (C) visits the Taedonggang Combined Fruit Farm at an undisclosed place in this undated picture released by official news agency KCNA June 7, 2010. [Agencies]

Kim attended a rare session of the parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, to personally name Jang Song-thaek as vice chairman of the National Defense Commission, the DPRK's KCNA news agency said.

The commission, headed by Kim himself, represents the pinnacle of power in the DPRK.

The second assembly session in two months came amid growing momentum in the international community to punish Pyongyang for the sinking of a Republic of Korea (ROK) navy corvette in March that killed 46 sailors.

Jang, who had once fallen out of Kim's favor but has since returned to his inner circle, is the husband of the leader's sister, and is viewed as the key figure for ensuring a smooth transfer of power from Kim to one of his sons.

"Jang would be the most trustworthy person to Kim ,"said Park Young-ho of the Korea Institute for National Analysis.

According to Huang Youfu, director of the Institute of Korean Studies at Beijing-based Central University for Nationalities, the appointment of Jang to the National Defense Commission will make Jang the No 2 figure in the DPRK, second only to Kim himself.

Jang is expected to help establish the foundation for succession to Jong-un.

"The move is to consolidate Kim's regime," Huang said, "and prepare for Kim's third son, Kim Jong-un, who is likely to take power."

The parliament also sacked the country's premier, who is considered the top economic official, and replaced him with parliament member Choe Yong-rim, another confidant of Kim's family who has been in key economic posts.

Central University's Huang expressed surprise that Choe was named premier at such an advanced age. The now 81-year-old Choe, once chief of staff to former DPRK leader Kim Il-sung, is apparently close with Kim Jong-il and readily complies with his orders, Huang said.

He added that the naming of Choe to DPRK premier puts him in charge of the national economy, which is not a key position, as DPRK policies strongly favor the military.

The dismissal of premier Kim Yong-il is likely linked to a currency revaluation late last year that, according to some media reports, incited widespread public discontent.

Ship sinking

Some analysts suggested Pyongyang might use the occasion to issue a rebuttal of sanctions imposed by Seoul over the sinking of the Cheonan corvette.

However, there was no mention of any hard-line response to the latest actions by the ROK, which last week took the dispute to the UN Security Council, demanding that the DPRK admit to the attack.

The mounting antagonism between the two Koreas, which so far has remained rhetorical, has unnerved global investors, worried about armed conflict breaking out in a region home to the world's second and third biggest economies.

The ROK and US military are expected to stage a joint exercise later this month, postponed from this week, to test their readiness against aggression from the DPRK.

Chen Guanjin contributed to this story.

Reuters