Kim Jong Un awarded title of Marshal of DPRK

PYONGYANG, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Top leader Kim Jong Un of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has been awarded the title of Marshal of the DPRK, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Wednesday.

"A decision was made to award the title of Marshal of the DPRK to Kim Jong Un, supreme commander of the Korean People's Army," the KCNA said.

The KCNA added that the decision was jointly issued Tuesday by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the National Defense Commission (NDC) of the DPRK and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of the DPRK.

The KCNA flashed a bulletin about an hour before the news was officially released at 0300 GMT.

Kim Jong Un earlier this year was elected first secretary of the WPK, chairman of the WPK Central Military Commission and first chairman of the NDC. He was promoted to the rank of general in September 2010.

In the DPRK, marshal is the second highest title next only to grand marshal, which had been awarded to the country's founding father, Kim Il Sung, in 1992 and to the late leader Kim Jong Il posthumously in 2012.

The KCNA announced Tuesday a decision of the WPK Central Military Commission and the NDC to promote Gen. Hyon Yong Chol to vice marshal.