N. Korea's new leader visits tank division on New Year's Day

SEOUL, Jan. 1 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's new leader Kim Jong-un visited a tank division on Sunday, the state media said, paying his first apparent inspection visit to the military since the death of his father in a clear indication that he would inherit Kim Jong-il's "military-first" policy.

The young leader, who was declared the "supreme commander" of the North's military last week, "visited the Seoul Ryu Kyong Su 105 Guards Tank Division" of the (North) Korean People's Army and "congratulated" its troops, the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said in a report.

Kim was accompanied by his uncle and vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission Jang Song-thaek, head of the military's general staff Ri Yong-ho as well as other military leaders, KCNA said.

The tank division was named because it was the North's first military unit to enter the South Korean capital of Seoul during the early days of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The choice of the tank division as Kim's first official visit since the funeral of his father last week is seen as another sign that North Korea's new leadership would maintain its hostile posture toward South Korea and use such policy as a way to rally the regime behind the new leader.

Since the Dec. 17 death of the late leader, the younger Kim has appeared to have swiftly solidified his grip on power and was declared the "supreme commander" of the North's 1.1 million-strong military.

Still, outside experts remain wary about the leadership transition, given the age of the younger Kim, believed to be in his late 20s, and his lack of preparation to take over the communist regime.

Earlier on Sunday, North Korea called for its military, the Worker's Party and people to unite behind Kim Jong-un.

"The entire army should place absolute trust in and follow Kim Jong-un and become human rifles and bombs to defend him unto death," the North's three major newspapers said in a joint New Year's editorial carried by KCNA.

"Let us defend with our very lives the Party Central Committee headed by the dear respected comrade Kim Jong-un," the editorial said.