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North Korea hailed Kim Jong Il's son as 'supreme leader' of the 1.2-million strong military, ramping up its campaign to install the young man as the nation's next leader even as the mourning for his father continued a week after his death, The Daily Mail reported.

Kim Jong Un made a third visit Saturday to the palace where his father's body is lying in state — this time as 'supreme leader of the revolutionary armed forces' and accompanied by North Korea's top military brass, according to the official Korean Central News Agency.

The new title and public show of support from the military leadership sent a strong signal that the nation will maintain Kim Jong Il's 'military first' policy for the time being.

Earlier Saturday, the newspaper Rodong Sinmun, mouthpiece of the ruling Workers' Party, urged Kim Jong Un to accept the top military post: 'Comrade Kim Jong Un, please assume the supreme commandership, as wished by the people.'

Kim Jong Un, who is in his late 20s and was unveiled in September 2010 as his father's choice as successor, will be the third-generation Kim to rule the nation of 24 million.

Kim Jong Un was promoted to four-star general and appointed a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party.

He had been expected to assume a number of other key posts while being groomed to succeed his father.