How is it unusual? Kim Il Sung, the grandfather, was literally a war hero and leader of the resistance against japanese occupation, his resistance in Dongbei also gained the favour of China that ultimatelly saved the DPRK from being erased by the US during the korean war.

Let’s also not forget that Korea is a very small region so one can understand that practically everyone knew of him in the region one way or another.

Why is Spongebob influencial in the U.S?

I don’t know but perhaps leading the fights against the imperialist Japanese AND Americans might had something to do with it

I think it’s important to frame it from the standpoint of actual merit as leadership (what AES states tend to operate on). From this standpoint, I don’t think it’s that different from asking “why do some leaders stay in power so long”. In both cases, the answer could be, “They do the job really well, so why push for someone else?”

Things don’t always pass down well in upbringing for various reasons, but if they do, might as well reap the benefits.

In the capitalist context, we’d tend to call it nepotism, in a derisive way. But the capitalist context is also one where access to “privileged” positions means a better/easier life. In the AES context, positions of leadership can be pretty modest as benefits go and have heavy responsibilities and expectations for devoting yourself to being a public servant.

This is sort of a non-answer of an answer as to the exact cause in Korea’s case, but I wanted to emphasize the importance of why it can matter or not matter, depending on the societal context.

I do remember reading that Kim Il-Sung was very into film and the craft of it (now I am struggling to find where I thought I’d bookmarked a pdf on his study of film). But with that in mind, he may have been more effective than some AES leaders at narrative and passing on a legacy to his children effectively, to the extent that they’d be worthy of filling a high leadership role. That people survive at all to even reach that point also matters. IIRC, a son of Mao died while fighting as a volunteer helping the Korean liberation forces when they were fighting the US forces during the Korean “war” (invasion by the US).

Not saying they are not influential but the look we given of them from the outside does not tell the whole story. Every story about DPRK from our media is about Kim Jong Un or, on rare occasions, about Kim Yo Jong. Taking them at face value you would think that there are no more than two people in the entire damn country but the reality is obviously not that.

As to why Kim family is influential is simple. They led the resistances against Japanese and American invasions.

I feel like it’s one of the biggest missteps of Soviet Union - it didn’t raised new wave of leaders and such, that could lead country towards communism. I don’t mean like it should have been their children, but it certanly would have been easier to raise your own child to have qualities similliar to you, to raise your child to be fitting to the role of next leader of revolution. And I belive that’s what DPRK revolutionaries noticed that too and it’s their solution. It does has it’s risks of children being corrupt and/or spoiled, but it it seems to work, especially because in this case those children should be qualified for their position and they recieve no special treatment.

Also Korea does have a clan thing, so that maybe part of it?

I might be absolutely wrong on this, and would be glad to be corrected if thar’s the case, but that’s how I see the reason why

The DPRK is the Korea free from US occupation, thus its confucianism central. Much more than China or Vietnam, which both also are strongly influenced by Confucianism.

Because of this the merits of ancestors are considered inheritable by their children. If one looks at the Kim family: Kim Il Sungs father was a early proponent of korean modernization and independence from Japan. Kim Il Sung fought his entire life for korean independence against Japan first and then the USA, with great sucess and in power for a long time. Kim Yong Il lead the nation through its most difficult time since the japanese occupation and kept the US away. Kim Jong Uns tenure sees modernization and increases of quality of life last seen under Kim Il Sung, him looking like a chubbier version of his granddad also helps (when he had lost the most weight he almost looked like his grandpa).

This leads itself to political dynasties and centralization of power. The latter is counteracted by the government, the former is a unifying factor sometimes.