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Kim dynasty
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Children in colorful clothing parade in front of large bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, with flowers arranged at the base. Kim Il-Sung Portrait of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il wearing glasses and a gray collared shirt, looking forward with a neutral expression. Kim Jong-Un Kim Jong Un and his daughter Kim Ju Ae walk in front of a large military rocket launcher vehicle, with soldiers standing nearby, at an outdoor location in North Korea.
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Children in colorful clothing parade in front of large bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, with flowers arranged at the base.
Statues of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong Il, Pyongyang, North Korea Monumental statues of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong Il stand in Pyongyang, where the personality cult surrounding North Korea's ruling dynasty is a prominent feature of public life.

Kim dynasty

North Korean ruling family
Written by
Ethan Teekah
Ethan Teekah is an Associate Editor at EncyclopƦdia Britannica, where he leads coverage of Asia.
Ethan Teekah
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
History

The Kim dynasty is the term commonly used for the hereditary ruling family of North Korea. Since the founding of the Democratic Peopleā€™s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in 1948, political power has remained concentrated within the Kim family, passing through three generations of leaders: Kim Il-Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong-Un. Although North Korea officially describes itself as a socialist republic governed by the Korean Workersā€™ Party (KWP), the Kim family has exercised supreme...

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