North Korea promotes Kim relative in reshuffle

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s brother-in-law was promoted and a premier who apologized for a currency debacle was replaced today in a rare parliamentary session with strong signs that the secretive nation was preparing a hereditary succession of power. Kim was shown on Pyongyang’s state-run television presiding over the session, sitting behind a desk in the middle of a long line of parliamentarians. The scene was shot from a distance, so it was difficult to assess the health of the 68-year-old Kim, believed to have suffered a stroke two years ago.