PYONGYANG, North Korea -- The next leader of North Korea from the only ruling family the isolated nation has ever known made his public debut Sunday, clapping and smiling as tanks and long-range missiles rolled past in what was said to be the largest military parade staged by the communist state.

Two weeks after he was made a four-star general and set on the path to succession, Kim Jong Un sat next to his father, current North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, and waved from an observation platform to a raucous crowd cheering below.

The celebration marked the 65th anniversary of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea but also served as a coming-out party for the younger Kim, designed to introduce the heir-apparent to the people and burnish his image as the next leader, outside experts said.

"The parade served as a sign that the military has loyalty to the successor," said Kim Yong-hyun, an expert on North Korea at Seoul's Dongguk University.