A U.S. Defense Department official says North Korea appears to be delaying its power succession process.

The official, who is accompanying U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta to Seoul for the 43rd Security Consultative Meeting, made the comment when he met with reporters on Thursday.

The official said the process has apparently been delayed amid the North’s assessment there is no need to rush given that North Korean leader Kim Jong-il’s health has not further deteriorated.

The official added that despite the delay, trust toward Kim’s third son and heir-apparent, Jong-un, within the North seems to be further solidifying.

The defense department official also said that China, which had expressed concerns over the North’s third-generation father-to-son power succession, has recently shown signs of increasing trust towards the process. The official added that Kim, though not entirely, has given Jong-un a tremendous amount of authority.