North Korea's state media referred to late leader Kim Jong-il's youngest son, Jong-un, as "supreme commander in heart" on Saturday, a sign of the successor's imminent rise to control the communist country's military.

"We declare from our hearts ... we will complete the task of military-first revolution under comrade Kim Jong-un as our supreme commander and our general," the North's main state newspaper Rodong Shinmun said in an editorial. 

The newspaper, which represents the country's official position, also called on the successor in the editorial to lead the communist country to "an eternal victory."

The comments came as the North's power transition to the youngest of Kim Jong-il's three sons takes place following the former leader's sudden death on Dec. 17.

After he was groomed to become the next leader, Kim Jong-un became vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party and a four-star general last year.

The late Kim was given the supreme commander position in 1991 before his father and national founder Kim Il-sung died in 1994.

Since Kim Jong-il's death was announced by the North earlier this week, doubts have been raised over whether the 20-something inexperienced successor could gain control of the North's 1.1 million-strong military, which served as a key backbone of his father's rule.    (Yonhap News)