How did Kim Il-Sung prepare Kim Jong Il to succeed him?

Beginning in the 1970s, Kim Il-Sung gradually prepared his son, Kim Jong Il, to succeed him, establishing a precedent of hereditary leadership that departed from the practices of other communist states.1

Key steps in this transition included:

• Party Appointments: In 1980, during the first Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) congress in a decade, Kim Il-Sung appointed his son to three powerful party posts, officially designating him as his heir apparent.23
• Administrative Control: Following his designation, Kim Jong Il consolidated his power and assumed increasing responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the government.23
• Military Authority: By 1990–91, Kim Jong Il was given command of the armed forces, further solidifying his position within the state’s power structure.4

By the time of Kim Il-Sung’s death in 1994, Kim Jong Il had already been serving in high-ranking positions within the Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Party Secretariat, allowing him to transition into the role of the country's de facto leader.4