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 SEOUL, South Korea (AP) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Il promoted 35 generals Tuesday as the country marked one of its biggest national holidays, the birthday of his late father.
Kim's father, Kim Il Sung, died in 1994 at age 82 but still holds the title of the country's "eternal president." The elder Kim's birthday is known as "Day of the Sun" and is celebrated along with the birthday of the country's current ruler.
The younger Kim often promotes generals to mark holidays and boost the morale of the military, the backbone of his totalitarian rule. He has promoted more than 1,000 generals since becoming supreme commander of the 1.2 million-strong Korean People's Army, the world's fifth largest.
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