A leading Japanese daily says Kim Jong-il has declared that he will remain North Korea's leader for a long period of time.

The Mainichi Shimbun quoted a source familiar with North Korean government affairs as saying Thursday that Kim told a group of top Workers’ Party officials last October that he plans on occupying the top post until he is 80 or 90 years old.

The report said the North’s leadership believes Kim made the remarks apparently to quell rumors on who will succeed him.

According to the paper, Kim also ordered the party officials to discontinue the grand scale festival held every February to mark his birthday, apparently in consideration of his country’s serious food shortage problem.