(3rd LD) N. Korea plays propaganda song for heir apparent at official events

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, UPDATES lead through 5th para to underscore that the Oct. 9
dispatch was not the first for N. Korean media to report on "Footsteps," ADDS
previous cases of Kim Jong-il attending similar events)
By Kim Hyun

SEOUL, Oct. 26 (Yonhap) -- North Korea appears to have established a propaganda
song praising the state's heir apparent as a regular theme during public events,
with the latest performance aired on state television.
Kim Jong-il, 67, is widely believed to have named his third and youngest son,
Jong-un, as his successor, but the country has yet to officially announce the
alleged succession plan.
In what appeared to be the latest sign of progress in the power transfer, the
elder Kim recently watched a performance at a provincial theater where the song
"Footsteps" was presented by a choir, according to Oct. 9 footage from the
North's Korean Central TV Broadcasting Station. It was the fifth time for the
leader to attend an official event where the song was played.
"Footsteps," reportedly written by top composer Ri Jong-o, has been widely
interpreted by North Korea watchers here as extolling the valiance of Jong-un.
Its title began to appear in North Korean media in February, when the Korean
Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that soldiers in an army unit sang the song
during Kim Jong-il's inspection visit there. The song surfaced again during an
April 26 ceremony marking the founding of the North's Korean People's Army.
In the Oct. 9 television broadcast, belatedly discovered here, still photos from
the concert show the title of the song displayed in green on an electronic board
above the stage, while dozens of men and women sing in ensemble. Kim was visiting
the newly built North Hwanghae Provincial Art Theater, south of Pyongyang.
Seoul's Unification Ministry would not say whether it was a sign that a power
transfer is underway.
"We have intelligence indicating the song is for Kim Jong-un, but it's a matter
of interpretation if this means a succession process being consolidated,"
ministry spokeswoman Lee Jong-joo said.
Kim Jong-il's entourage in the theater visit featured his sister Kim Kyong-hui
and her husband Jang Song-thaek, both of whom are believed to be deeply involved
in grooming the heir apparent at directorial posts at the Workers' Party. Other
top party officials such as Kim Ki-nam and Pak Nam-gi were among the audience
along with residents of the province.
The television presented footage of Kim and his entourage clapping their hands,
but it was not clear from the visual material whether they did so to the heir's
song.
The song's lyrics begin "Tramp tramp tramp / the footsteps of our General Kim /
spreading the spirit of February / tramp tramp tramping onwards." General Kim is
believed to be a reference to Kim Jong-un, and February the birth month of the
elder Kim.
Kim Jong-un, said to be born in 1984 to the leader's third wife Ko Yong-hui, has
been described as resembling his father the most in appearance and temperament
among the three sons. His older brother, Jong-chol, is 28, and his half-brother,
Jong-nam, is 38.
hkim@yna.co.kr
(END)