Reclusive North Korea is preparing for a third generation of Kim family rule, with the young and inexperienced Kim Jong-un poised to take over from his father to run the autocratic state born out of the Cold War.

The 27 or 28-year-old Kim is taking the next big step to succeeding leader Kim Jong-il by visiting China, introducing himself to the destitute North's main benefactor, possibly one of the most crucial diplomatic moves he will ever make, with South Korean media reporting he had crossed the border.The youngest of the leader's three sons, little is known about Kim, not even his age. He was most likely born in 1984.His name in Chinese characters translates as "righteous cloud," while the media refers to him as the "the young general." Educated in Switzerland, he is thought to speak English and German, and bears a striking resemblance to his grandfather, the North's founder, Kim Il-sung.Analysts say the two attacks on the peninsula last year, which killed 50 South Koreans, were aimed at winning the army's support for a continuation of dynastic rule and underscored an intent to maintain the state's military-first policy.Experts say the young Kim will likely follow the same militaristic path, maintaining a strong grip over one of the world's largest armies and pressing on with a nuclear weapons programme in the face of international outrage

Last year, the young dauphin was officially anointed as leader-in-waiting when his father made him a 4-star general and gave him a prominent political post. But for added security, Kim promoted his sister and her husband to top positions to create a powerful triumvirate to run the family dynasty.John Delury and Chung-in Moon of Yonsei University say that it is wishful thinking on the part of Seoul to think regime change is imminent as reports from foreign visitors over the past year reveal no overt signs of crisis or instability.Moreover, the two scholars say China is actively engaged on diplomatic and economic levels in supporting North Korea's survival, stability, and development.
China prefers the status quo on the peninsula, worried that if the South takes over the North, the South would bring its U.S. military ally to the Chinese border