SEOUL: North Korean ruling party officials are arriving in Pyongyang, signalling an imminent meeting that outsiders describe as a critical step in a hereditary transfer of power by the leader, Kim Jong-il.

The North Korean newspaper Rodong Sinmun reported on Monday that the rare meeting of Workers' Party delegates would ''mark a meaningful chapter in the history of our party''. Photos from Pyongyang showed citizens staging a practice celebration. The South Korean government said soldiers had gathered in the city, ready for a parade.

The Japanese news agency Kyodo reported children had been marching in the streets, singing Footsteps, which hails Kim Jong-il's youngest son.

As for the presumed guest of honour, Kim Jong-eun, who is expected to assume the reins of power from his ailing father, few people can even say what he looks like since there are no confirmed photos of him and he has never been seen in public.

For weeks, the regime has rolled out a propaganda campaign, including songs and poems, praising the younger Kim.