Pyongyang , North Korea ( CNN ) -- As a military parade that is billed as the largest in Pyongyang 's history began Sunday morning , North Korea 's increasingly reclusive leader , Kim Jong Il , made a rare public appearance with his youngest son , Kim Jong Un . Video from the event showed thousands of military personnel who 'd been silent a moment earlier erupt into applause and chanting as the Kims appeared in the capital to start the parade . The event featured 20,000 military personnel marching in lockstep and huge pieces of military hardware -- including many tanks and missiles -- rolling along the parade route as part of North Korea 's celebration marking the anniversary of the country 's Peoples ' Workers Party . `` It 's an annual holiday , but in effect this is an elaborate coming out party for the man who will be the next leader , '' said CNN 's Alina Cho , reporting from the parade , referring to Kim 's youngest son . The parade began in the Kim Il Sung Square , named for Kim Jong Il 's father , North Korea 's founder . The United States believes that Kim Jong Un has been tapped to replace his ailing father as North Korea 's leader . Little is known about Kim Jong Un . He is thought to be 27 or 28 and was schooled abroad , believed to be capable of speaking some English and German and possibly some French . He is said to have a fondness for Michael Jordan and James Bond . In a move that surprised North Korea observers , Kim Jong Un appeared to be wearing civilian clothes instead of his military uniform and medals on Sunday , even though he had been named a four-star general last month . `` This is ... Kim Jong Il trying to make sure that senior military officers are not offended by someone who just got his start , '' said Gordon Chang , a North Korean expert and columnist for Forbes.com . `` It shows he needs to massage this process . '' In a rare embrace of the media , Pyongyang invited around 60 journalists from around the world to cover the weekend 's festivities , Cho said . `` We were quite hastily invited at the middle of last week , '' she said . `` We knew something big was happening but we were n't entirely sure what . '' Cho said that security is tight for the celebrations and that even the news media 's government minders are being checked by security personnel -- along with Cho 's notebook and pen . Sunday 's parade encompassed units of the three services of the Korean People 's Army -- the Korean People 's Internal Security Forces , the Worker-Peasant Red Guards and the Young Red Guards -- according to North Korea 's state-run KCNA news agency . On Saturday , Kim and his heir apparent appeared at Pyongyang 's May Day Stadium as part of the Arirang celebration , which this year marks the the 65th anniversary of the Peoples ' Workers Party . The event featured hundreds of gymnastics and dance performances . Participants spend up to eight hours a day training and preparing for the occasion . Video of the event showed performers dancing enthusiastically for the crowd in the packed stadium . Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un could be seen sitting in a private box removed from the masses , flanked by military officials . Electricity was on throughout Pyongyang on Saturday , Cho said , an unusual occurrence in power-starved North Korea . The spare-no-expense celebration will likely be frowned upon by many ordinary North Koreans , Chang said . `` With the North Korean economy trending downwards , with poverty and destitution , there 's got be the question of the nature of the regime , '' he said . `` They 're going to look at this and say , 'Why do n't I have clean water ? Why do n't I have food ? How can they afford all of this ? ' '' Chinese President Hu Jintao sent Kim Jong Il a congratulatory message Saturday , commending the Peoples ' Workers Party for `` overcoming difficulties and risks and arduously struggling to continuously make eye-catching achievements in its socialist revolution and construction cause , '' China 's state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Hu as saying . Hu also praised the relationship between North Korea and China , and pledged to make `` it an unswerving policy to continuously strengthen and develop bilateral friendly and cooperative ties . '' Kim also received messages of support from the party itself . The Peoples ' Workers Party , along with other government entities , praised the party 's creation saying it `` has ushered in the greatest heyday in its development , a period of great prosperity in the era of the WPK , demonstrating its invincible might under Kim Jong Il 's experienced and tested guidance , '' according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency . CNN 's Adam Reiss contributed to this report .
North Korea 's leader Kim Jong Ill attends huge military parade Saturday . Kim Jong Ill , who North Korea 's believes will replace Kim Jong Ill , also attends . Event features 28 military personnel , tanks and missiles . the Kim Il Sung Square celeberations mark creation of North Korea 's Peoples ' Workers Party .