North Korea's ruling party will hold its first conference in a generation on 28 September amid speculation that leader Kim Jong-il is about to name his successor. State media reports say the Workers Party is widely expected to promote Mr. Kim's third son, Kim Jong-un, to a senior position. Observers believe a promotion would anoint him as the heir to his father, the self-styled Dear Leader. Mr. Kim, 68, is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008. The statement said that the conference of the Workers Party of Korea for electing its supreme leadership body will take place in Pyongyang on 28 September. The announcement ends weeks of speculation about the date of the meeting, which is believed to have been delayed several times. Kim Jong-il was promoted at a previous conference in 1980, which at the time was seen as confirmation that he would succeed his father, Kim Il-sung.