The Evolution of Kim Jong Un's Cult of Personality
Recent developments suggest the North Korean leader is boosting his image while placing less focus on his predecessors
Kim Jong Un portraits, murals, paintings, and even badges—these are just some of the symbols that have recently been used to boost the North Korean leader’s personality cult. While his predecessors have long enjoyed their own, carefully crafted, personality cults for decades, the current leader is taking deliberate steps to promote his image as the country’s supreme authority figure.
Over the years, North Korean state media has relentlessly embellished the third-generation leader’s image, consistently highlighting his accomplishments and leadership skills. The latter were again underscored over the weekend, in a front-page article of the Rodong Sinmun. While the piece was meant to highlight the greatness of Kim Il Sung ahead of his death anniversary on July 8, it was also used to emphasize Kim Jong Un’s achievements and called for complete loyalty to the current leader.
“The path of devoting oneself to following the will of the respected General Secretary [Kim Jong Un] is the path to the Great Leader's [Kim Il Sung] eternal life for tens of thousands of years and the path to realizing the Leader's lifelong wishes most perfectly and excellently,” the article stated.
While Kim Jong Un has not completely done away with the idolization of his father or grandfather, there is a clear shift in North Korea’s propaganda strategy lately, possibly setting the stage for a much more dominant personality cult surrounding the current leader. While state-run media continues to mention the greatness of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the focus is increasingly being placed on publicizing the current leader’s excellence.
“Under the superior wisdom and wise leadership of the respected General Secretary Kim Jong Un, our people have built wonderful streets of civilization, performed grandiose change in regional development and achieved clear increase in production in economic construction in high spirit of sure victory despite the difficulties,” one Rodong Sinmun article published on July 4 stated.
The reasons for this strong focus on the cult of personality relatively early in his rule— compared to his predecessors— may be related to various factors, including a desire to push forward new policy lines (e.g. abandoning the goal of unification), to name his successor early (maybe due to health concerns), and to solidify his position as the utmost authority in the DPRK (a status higher than that of his grandfather and father).
The moves to boost Kim Jong Un’s personality cult also come as the North Korean leader continues to make great strides on the international stage. Kim Jong Un is more emboldened than ever for various reasons, including the signing of a renewed mutual defense agreement with Russia last month, advancements in its military capabilities and missile technology, the expiration of the UN Panel of Expert’s mandate on North Korea, and continued support from China.
Establishing a solid position both internally and externally will further help Kim Jong Un strengthen his authority at home while also increasing his leverage over the United States.
But this emboldened version of Kim Jong Un was not created overnight. It has taken over a decade for the leader to strengthen his position to where it is now. As such, it’s worth taking a look back at how Kim Jong Un went from young successor to embodying his own, ruthless leadership style.
Young but qualified
The cult surrounding Kim Jong Un began soon after he was chosen to be his father, Kim Jong Il’s, successor. Even before he took over power, newspapers covered Kim Jong Un accompanying his father on guidance tours to highlight how he learned the necessary skills to succeed his father. According to one 2018 North Korean book titled “Son of the People,” Kim Jong Un was always destined to succeed his father and was more than ready for the position when the time came.
“Long before his election as the successor to the General and even in his childhood, Kim Jong Un evoked public admiration for extraordinary abilities, warm humanity and great personality, enjoying absolute trust and support from the people across the country,” the book states.
North Korean media promoted a song for Kim called 발걸음 (Footsteps) and Kim Jong Il later promoted his son to 대장 (general) in September 2010, further setting the foundation for his succession.
North Korean media was also quick to prop up the young Kim immediately after the death of Kim Jong Il in December 2011, with one article published two days after his father’s death emphasizing Kim Jong Un’s role in completing the Juche ‘revolutionary cause.’ Another article called for the people to rally around Kim Jong Un, describing him as “a symbol of victory and an outstanding leader.”
Besides celebrating his past work alongside his father, the new leader’s image was also carefully crafted in accordance with traditional North Korean propaganda methods.
One of the classic ways North Korean propaganda creates a positive image of its leaders is by presenting them as caring fatherly figures. For example, one of Kim Il Sung’s biographies states that, of all the titles bestowed upon him, he was most proud of being called a “fatherly leader” by the people. According to the book, the appellation was “an expression of the feelings of the people, who lived under his paternal care” and to the people, he was “their benevolent and dependable father.”
Kim Jong Un’s interactions with children were, and continue to be, particularly highlighted by the media, such as one May 2012 article that emphasized his “paternal love” for children displayed through his gifting of musical instruments to North Korean youth.
Kim’s young age was also used to build a connection with the younger generation, with various North Korean media regularly publicizing his achievements with youth organizations and his role in the construction of facilities for the youth, such as water parks, skating rinks, cinemas, ski resorts, etc.
Reincarnation of hope
Perhaps the main feature of propaganda efforts in Kim’s early years in power was the attempt to draw as many similarities as possible between the new leader and his grandfather, Kim Il Sung. These efforts were particularly aided by the fact that Kim Jong Un bore a striking physical resemblance to Kim Il Sung. The new leader capitalized on this and took things further by wearing similar glasses as Kim Il Sung as well as copying his fashion style and mannerisms.
North Korean media and other publications also emphasized these similarities between the country’s founder and that of their current leader.
“Supreme Commander Kim Jong Un, the new young leader of north Korea, is one and the same with President Kim Il Sung in all aspects—face, smile, confident manner of walking, gesture, etc. It seems as if the President, founder of north Korea, were revived,” a North Korean book states, quoting a January 2012 AP article.
The reason why this resemblance was given so much focus was because, to the North Korean people, Kim Il Sung was the symbol of freedom and power and associated with much more prosperous times. The North Korean population went through extreme hardship after the death of Kim Il Sung, with the nation suffering a horrible famine in the early 1990s, natural disasters, economic collapse, and international isolation in the wake of the fall of communism. Even when Kim Jong Un took power, poverty and food shortages remained widespread issues.
Evoking this image of Kim Il Sung through Kim Jong Un was aimed at stirring up the feelings of loyalty, love, and admiration that the people had for their first leader. The hope was that, despite the current hardships, Kim Il Sung’s legacy would be enough to make people want to support his grandson as the new ruler. (Not that the people had much of a choice, but the propaganda efforts to make this link were considerable).
“[…] the image of Kim Il Sung in his youth is enshrined in the minds of the north Koreans and they will never forget the smiling face of their saviour who, as a young General, liberated the nation from Japanese colonial rule. […] Whenever [Kim Jong Un] smiles, it seems as if we were seeing Kim Il Sung in his thirties when he was leading north Korea after Japan’s defeat,” the 2018 book states.
A powerful global player
Another way Kim Jong Un’s image has been propped up is through his achievements on the international stage. The most notable example of this took place in 2018 when the North Korean leader held summits with US President Donald Trump and South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The former was a particularly monumental win for Kim, as no sitting US president had ever met with a North Korean leader until then.
North Korean media reported on the June 12 US-DPRK Singapore Summit in great detail, describing the events of that day that led up to the signing of the Joint Statement between the two leaders. North Korea’s Rodong Sinmun hailed the summit as a great achievement for the country, with its leader not only securing an in-person meeting with the US president but also signing a document aimed at developing “new” US-DPRK relations centered around the principles of peace and prosperity.
North Korean reports particularly made note of Trump’s appreciation to Kim for his “proactive peace-loving measures” that allowed an atmosphere of peace and stability to be created on the Korean Peninsula. A strong focus was also placed on covering how the international community was reacting to the summit, with various North Korean news articles reporting on the praise Kim Jong Un was receiving in newspapers and media around the world for making this summit happen. One article said it was thanks to Kim’s “determination and will” to create a future of peace and security that the summit was able to take place while another credited the achievement to Kim’s “genius foresight and outstanding political power.”
However, with the subsequent Hanoi summit failing to produce any tangible results for Kim Jong Un, North Korean media instead attempted to paint the summit as a positive step in the direction of establishing new US-DPRK relations, without mentioning the major negotiating roadblocks encountered at the meeting. The focus was also shifted to save the leader’s face by covering Kim’s meetings with Vietnamese government officials. Kim’s talks with Vietnam’s leaders were portrayed as a major diplomatic win, with state media framing the visit as Kim Jong Un continuing his grandfather’s legacy by tying it to Kim Il Sung’s last visit to Vietnam in 1964.
Another attempt at boosting the North Korean leader’s image came in June, when Kim once again met with Trump, this time at the inter-Korean border. North Korean media was deliberate in their framing of the meeting, emphasizing that the meeting” took place at the US president’s “request” and “suggestion.” The goal here was to show that it was the US, not North Korea, that was more desperate for a meeting. This framing helps boost Kim’s image at home as a powerful international statesman, someone whom even the leader of the United States seeks to meet.
Although US-DPRK diplomatic progress has remained stalemated since 2019, the North Korean leader’s image continues to be strengthened through the use of summits and exchanges with major leaders. The most recent example of this was the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin last month.
Deepening relations with Russia since the latter’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has served Kim Jong Un well on various fronts. Besides the opportunity to earn foreign currency by selling arms to Russia for use in Ukraine, Putin’s growing interest in deepening relations with the North Korean leader has helped boost Kim’s image at home as that of a leader retaining international influence while also strengthening his position and leverage vis-à-vis external actors such as the US.
Particularly, the reintroduction of a mutual defense clause in the friendship treaty signed between the two leaders at their latest summit carries significant symbolic—and real, security and military—meaning. The treaty serves multiple propaganda purposes.
For one, it shows the domestic audience that their leader has not been isolated, despite the international community’s best efforts. Two, it shows that North Korea—or Kim Jong Un— is not alone in the fight against “imperialism” (or the US-led world order). It has two major powers by its side: Russia and China. Three, it strengthens Kim’s leverage in future negotiations with the US, as the latter now has to consider the possibility of Russian military intervention in case North Korea is attacked. And four, it boosts Kim’s image as a skilled diplomat and leader, able to secure such a level of support from a major power like Russia.
The latest summit with Putin thus served to further strengthen Kim Jong Un’s image and position—both at home and abroad.
Propaganda overhaul?
Kim Jong Un’s personality cult has continued to expand in recent years, with the North Korean leader even introducing his name into the 2019 revision of the DPRK constitution. The names of his predecessors had only appeared in the constitution after their death.
Various other changes also point to the gradual elevation of Kim Jong Un’s status over that of his father and grandfather. While both the first and second-generation leaders remain venerated in North Korean media, publications, and discourse, the names of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il have been making less frequent appearances in official documents in recent years.
Kim Jong Un has also not shied away from playing a proactive and direct role in boosting his personality cult. For example, he appointed himself general secretary in 2021, taking the place “eternally” reserved for his deceased father. Moreover, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il portraits were no longer displayed on the stage backdrop during the 2021 party congress, while Kim Il Sung was also dropped from the youth league’s name the same year.
According to South Korea’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS), a new ideological concept labeled “Kimjongunism” (김정은주의) was also introduced in North Korea in October 2021, possibly signaling a move to replace the ideologies of Kim Jong Un’s predecessors, including Kimilsungism, Kimjongilism, and Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism. However, the term has yet to appear in official North Korean media or publications. While countless articles make reference to Kim Jong Un’s great leadership qualities and achievements, the introduction of a specific ideology, such as ‘Kimjongunism’, is yet to take place.
Still, another significant development came the following year when the first Kim Jong Un mosaic mural was unveiled at a greenhouse farm. This was followed in 2023 when the first paintings of the current leader were revealed to the public.
Similar trends continued in 2024 when Kim Jong Un’s portrait was displayed for the first time in May on the face of a building next to those of the country’s former leaders. His portrait also appeared next to those of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il inside a classroom, but it has yet to become widespread or mandatory. Notably, Kim Jong Il portraits did not become mandatory until after his death.
Moreover, the introduction of Kim Jong Un badges at last month’s 10th Enlarged Plenary Meeting of the Eighth Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea (WPK) further points to efforts at solidifying Kim’s personality cult. However, the badges, like the portraits, are yet to become a staple feature in North Korean society, with officials reverting back to the old Kim Il Sung-Kim Jong Il badges in the days following the plenum.
For now, there still seems to be enough room in Kim Jong Un’s world for the idolization of him as well as his two predecessors.
The Kim Jong Un way
While propaganda revering Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il has not been fully discarded, the current leader may be setting the stage to forge his own, unique path moving forward. North Korea is not the same country it was when his father, let alone grandfather, ruled. The DPRK today is a fully-fledged nuclear weapons state with rapidly advancing and expanding missile and other military capabilities. Kim Jong Un’s policy decisions moving forward will likely reflect these changes.
In reality, change is already happening on a large scale. Perhaps the most significant of these changes is Kim Jong Un’s breakaway from his predecessor’s goal of achieving national reunification with South Korea. Last December, the North Korean leader not only abandoned the goal of unification but also defined inter-Korean relations as relations between “hostile” and “belligerent” states.
The significance of this move cannot be stressed enough, as it does away with what has been the North’s goal from the beginning of the division of the peninsula over seven decades ago. Reunification with the South was constantly promoted and strived for throughout North Korea’s history, especially under Kim Il Sung.
For example, speaking to soldiers on February 20, 1948, Kim Il Sung reminded the young officers of their purpose: “to drive out the US imperialists occupying south Korea and accomplish the historic cause of national reunification.” Kim Il Sung continued promoting reunification until the very end, saying in April 1994 “Today, there is no patriotism more genuine than to devote oneself to the reunification of the country.” Kim Jong Il also promoted unification throughout his time as leader.
However, unlike his father or grandfather, the current leader does not have a direct connection or experience with historical issues like unification and likely sees the continuation of such a policy as incurring more costs than benefits.
If Kim Jong Un is willing to take such a drastic turn away from the policies of his predecessors by abandoning unification, it is possible he feels confident enough in his position as leader to begin carving out his own, unique policy lines separate from those of his father and grandfather.
Another possible surprise move could involve his young daughter, presumed to be named Ju-ae, whose appearances have become increasingly frequent since she first appeared alongside her father at an intercontinental ballistic missile test site in November 2022.
The first notable change in North Korean media coverage of Kim Ju Ae after this came in early January 2024, when reports suddenly started mentioning her in a separate sentence. This is comparable to how Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un were marked as different from regular officials when they were already established as successors. Kim Ju Ae then appeared on North Korean postage stamps alongside her father for the first time the following month. In total, Kim’s daughter made a total of 17 public appearances in 2023 alone, marking an unprecedented swift ascent into the spotlight.
One of the reasons for Kim Jong Un’s strong push to solidify his personality cult may be related to plans to name a successor early. The reason for this, however, is unclear. Kim may be suffering from serious health issues, or he may just want to secure a no. 2 ahead of time—better too early than too late. Alternatively, the move may be aimed at squashing the chance of a potential transfer of power occurring outside the Kim family, maybe involving high-level government or military officials. But with Kim Jong Un’s track record of getting rid of all opposition, this is less likely to be his motivation.
Another possibility is the threat posed to his authority by external information, such as films, books, music, and other materials from South Korea and the West. The more exposure North Korean citizens get to the outside world, the weaker Kim’s grip on power will be. Given the gravity of this threat, North Korean authorities have particularly beefed up their crackdowns on the consumption and spread of such materials in recent years.
Still, the North Korean leader remains emboldened and will likely continue introducing policies that fit with his vision for his country. With US-DPRK diplomacy still stalemated, inter-Korean relations at a dangerous low point, and Pyongyang deepening ties with Moscow, the current variables do not favor a return to dialogue or the de-escalation of tensions on the peninsula.
While change may be possible depending on the outcome of the upcoming US presidential elections, Kim is likely to stay on this course for the time being, backed by powerful partners abroad and a relentless propaganda machine at home.
Really curious to see how Kim Ju Ae does the job if she really does inherit control.