Massive support for Kim Jon Un

Pumping their fists and chanting, tens of thousands of North Koreans packed the snowy main square of the capital yesterday, to pledge their loyalty to new leader Kim Jong Un as the campaign to consolidate his power deepened.

State television also aired footage of Kim's recent visit to an elite tank unit with family, and historical ties that showed him interacting with soldiers with ease and carrying out inspections much like father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung did before him. The footage aimed to show off his youth and health and put his confidence and authority on display.

The rally and the footage were the latest steps in a carefully choreographed campaign to build support for North Korea's new leader that began the day news broke of Kim Jong Il's death last month. In swift succession, top officials from the powerful military and ruling Workers' Party have pledged their loyalty to the son, leaving no room for doubt about whether the young man would take power.