North Korea's ailing leader Kim Jong-il is speeding up the transfer of power to his son Jong-un, intelligence suggests.

"There is intelligence information indicating Kim Jong-un accompanied Kim Jong-il on an inspection tour last week to North Pyongan Province," a South Korean government official said Thursday. "One thing that is certain is that posters lauding Jong-un were hung in the factory Kim Jong-il toured."

On Saturday, North Korea's official KCNA news agency broadcast Kim's "on-the-spot-guidance" tour of a factory in Sinuiju showing posters urging North Koreans to "match footsteps" with their leader's "self-sacrifices for CNC." The official said the word "footsteps" has been used since last year only in reference to the succession. "Footsteps" is also the title of a song praising Kim Jong-un. The song, which was distributed at Kim Jong-il's orders last year, repeatedly uses the phrase "Captain Kim" for Jong-un. And a North Korean film reel depicting Kim Jong-il's birthday celebrations on Feb. 16 shows the North Korean leader at a performance of the song.

"CNC," which stands for "computer numerical control," is also a peculiar code for Kim Jong-un. A Unification Ministry official said the term CNC "is used to convey something new and young and suggests the rise of the new leader Kim Jong-un." North Korea has been touting the importance of cutting-edge technology and has been pushing the widespread implementation of computer-automated production technology. Kim Jong-il's field inspections target factories that have embraced "CNC" technology. "This trend became apparent after Kim Jong-un was tapped as heir last year," the official said. "It is interesting to see North Korea using foreign terminology, which it usually detests."