North Koreans are banned from bearing the same name as its Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, said a South Korean official on Wednesday.

The official, who spoke under condition of anonymity, said that the North's late leader, Kim Jong Il, had issued the directive in January 2011 although it is unknown how the information had been obtained.

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Under the edict, North Koreans with the same name as the late leader's son are required to get new names. Authorities are likewise duty bound to reject citizen registrations with the name "Kim Jong Un," the Associated Press relayed.

While the ban's impact on Pyongyang's citizens remains unclear, it must be noted that "Kim" is a fairly common Korean name. The name "Jong Un" can also be used for both genders.

Similar orders have likewise been issued that prohibits North Koreans from using the names Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung, the current leader's father and grandfather, respectively.

Kim Jong Un took the helm on December 2011 following his father's death, who had in turn, taken over in 1994 after his father's death. The Kim line has maintained its role as rulers of North Korea since it was established 66 years ago.

The directive appears to have been part of efforts to promote the personality cult of the Kim dynasty.

North Korea is known for enforcing strict public reverence measures for the ruling family, which has sustained the Kims' authoritarian rule over the impoverished nation for years.

The name ban joins the ranks of the family's other personality cult-driven initiatives including the declaration of birth dates as national holidays, the wearing of Kim Jong Il and Kim Il Sung lapel pins, and the hanging of North Korean Supreme Leader portraits on the walls of homes.

South Korean officials suspect that Kim Jong Il's name ban was prompted by the public introduction of his heir - Kim Jong Un - in 2010.

TagsNorth Korea, Kim dynasty, Supreme Leader, Personality cult, Name ban, Communist state