North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has been promoted to Marshal, in a move analysts say further cements the young Kim's hold on power.

The decision was jointly issued on Tuesday by the Central Committee and the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party of Korea, the National Defense Commission and the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, reported the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Wednesday.

In North Korea, marshal is the second highest military title, second only to grand marshal, the title that was awarded to the country's founding father, Kim Il-sung, in 1992 and to the late leader Kim Jong-il posthumously in 2012.

This came days after Ri Yong-ho was removed from his post as the army's vice marshal and replaced by Hyon Yong-chol. On Wednesday KCNA described Hyon as the chief of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army in a news report on a military event.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei on Wednesday said China wishes smooth development in an all-round way for North Korea under its leader Kim Jong-un and the Workers' Party of Korea.

"This is the last title left for Kim Jong-un, since he has already assumed all the top positions in the party, military and defense," Liu Ming, a researcher at the Institute of International Relations of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

Earlier this year Kim Jong-un was elected first secretary of the Workers' Party, chairman of the party's Central Military Commission and first chairman of the National Defense Commission. He was promoted to the rank of general in September 2010.

The recent changes in personnel and titles seem to have rattled South Korea.

In a security meeting, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak instructed top defense, intelligence and foreign affairs officials to keep a close watch on North Korea and to work closely with other nations regarding the recent shifts, the Yonhap News Agency reported yesterday.

The unusual dismissal of Ri also sparked international speculation. Yonhap quoted a North Korean defector whose son serves in the North Korean army as saying that Ri tried to conceal a group of malnourished soldiers and angered Kim Jong-un.

"Kim Jong-un perhaps wanted to surround himself with people he trusts and likes. He is trying to further his control over the military," said Liu.

It is not clear how the recent reshuffle might affect the domestic and foreign policies of North Korea. But the young Kim seems to have showed greater concern over the people's livelihoods, said Liu. "If he takes more measures to improve people's lives, it would certainly affect domestic and foreign policies," he added.

Agencies contributed to this story