Kim Jong Il

=== Successor ===
Kim's three sons and his brother-in-law, along with [[O Kuk-ryol|O Kuk Ryol]], an army general, had been noted as possible successors, but the North Korean government had for a time been wholly silent on this matter.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSSEO30011320080910|title=Possible successors to North Korea's Kim|work=Reuters|date=10 September 2008|access-date=1 July 2017|archive-date=8 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308131335/https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSSEO30011320080910|url-status=live}}</ref>

Kim Yong Hyun, a political expert at the Institute for North Korean Studies at [[Seoul]]'s [[Dongguk University]], said in 2007: "Even the North Korean establishment would not advocate a continuation of the family [[dynasty]] at this point".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.indiaenews.com/asia/20070214/39480.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080209173116/http://www.indiaenews.com/asia/20070214/39480.htm|archive-date=9 February 2008 |title=North Korea silent over Kim Jong Il successor|publisher=Indiaenews.com|date=14 February 2007|url-status=usurped|access-date=28 December 2011}}</ref> Kim's eldest son Kim Jong-Nnam was earlier believed to be the designated heir but he appeared to have fallen out of favor after being arrested at [[Narita International Airport]] near Tokyo in 2001 where he was caught attempting to enter Japan on a [[fake passport]] to visit [[Tokyo Disneyland]].<ref>{{Cite news |title=Transcript: The World Today: Japan deports man claiming to be Kim Jong-Nam |date=4 May 2001 |url=https://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s289624.htm |website=ABC.net.au |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070429092232/http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s289624.htm |archive-date=29 April 2007}} See also family tree: {{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/image_maps/07/1171000000/1171617765/img/north_korea416x275.gif |title=Family tree |website=news.bbc.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080921112727/http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/image_maps/07/1171000000/1171617765/img/north_korea416x275.gif |archive-date=21 September 2008}}</ref>

On 2 June 2009, it was reported that Kim's youngest son, [[Kim Jong Un]], was to be North Korea's next leader.<ref>{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jun/02/kim-jong-il-names-son-successor|title=North Korean leader Kim Jong-il 'names youngest son as successor'|work=The Guardian|date=2 June 2009|access-date=28 December 2011|location=London|archive-date=16 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016211014/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jun/02/kim-jong-il-names-son-successor|url-status=live}}</ref> Like his father and grandfather, he has also been given an official [[sobriquet]], The Brilliant Comrade.<ref>{{cite news|title=North Korea: A 'Brilliant Comrade'|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/world/asia/13briefs-NKOREAKIM.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=12 June 2009|access-date=13 June 2009|archive-date=1 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110501095148/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/13/world/asia/13briefs-NKOREAKIM.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to his death, it had been reported that Kim was expected to officially designate the son as his successor in 2012.{{sfn|Lankov|2014|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=FHpYCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA144 144]}}