“Hereditary Succession” and the DPRK Leadership

Abstract

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s (DPRK) regime has entered its third generation of leadership under the family of Kim Il-sung. This multi-generational rule by a single family has led many countries and individuals to understand the DPRK’s leadership as one of hereditary succession. For many years, North Korea allowed this understanding to remain unchallenged. However, on April 30, 2012, the DPRK began to publish articles condemning Republic of Korea (ROK) conservatives for maliciously slandering the DPRK by referring to its leadership since the 1970s as hereditary. Such articles illustrate North Korea’s disavowal of any form of hereditary leadership.¹