But while his two forebears are omnipresent - their portraits adorning the walls of every house, factory, school, even metro carriages - the young leader has so far resisted self-aggrandising monuments.
However, in a move seen as an attempt to cement the 35-year-old as lifelong ruler and to head off any possible leadership challenge, he is creating his own generational chapter of family mythology through tales of his benevolence and superhuman feats.
According to some of the most outlandish claims, he learned to drive at age 3 and became a competitive sailor at 9. Last year, state-run media reported his ability to change the weather as he ascended the country's sacred Mount Paektu through snow in shoes.
In a drip feed of state-published images, Kim is frequently shown imparting his wisdom to officials or emotionally overcome workers.
In Pyongyang, the Sunday Telegraph learnt of his "expert instructions" on the design of the natural history museum and on how to improve soccer boots. At the maternity hospital, a guide attributed the use of epidurals to Kim's advice.
Sculpting future generations to ensure unwavering faith is a priority for the regime.
In Changgwang, 800 children living apart from their working parents sing of their wish for Kim Jong-un to visit. One boy sprang from his seat. "I will uphold highly the great, respected Kim Jong-un," he said to joyful clapping from his classmates.
At the school's entrance, a floor-to-ceiling painting of Kim Il-sung surrounded by children, some sitting on his lap, frames him as a modern-day Jesus. North Korea has simply replaced religion with Kim family worship.
The absence of Kim Jong-un portraits is noticeable, although he is still officially idolised. He could be taking things slowly while moulding his own cult-like image around that of his grandfather, said Robert Kelly, a political-science professor at South Korea's Busan university.
"He is famously styling himself after Kim Il-sung, with the hair and the weight."
He added: "It seems like the propaganda apparatus didn't really miss a beat. Kim Jong-un has been given all the relevant titles, he's been given the same majesty and superstitious exaggeration."
Objects Kim once touched are revered - a hospital bed he sat on, a chair he used when addressing textile workers, now encased in a plastic box. At the Jangchon vegetable farm on the city's periphery, deputy manager Kim Yong-ho, 53, spoke of his joy when the "Great Marshal" visited.
"I felt really proud to have met such a great man as the leader of our country! He is like the sun to us," he said.
But Kim faces the challenge of keeping his people isolated from the global internet age. Most citizens may only access the state intranet and its censored content, while calls or emails to foreigners must be officially registered. Foreign news is highly restricted.
Individualism is discouraged, dissent punished. Bizarrely, men and women may not dye their hair, and should choose from approved styles, the "butterfly", "seagull" and "coiled bundle".
Korea experts question how long Kim can maintain such control. Although popular for improving the economy and securing the North's nuclear weapons, he faced future challenges to his power, said Andrei Lankov, a professor at Seoul's Kookmin university.
"In order to keep the country stable they have to keep it isolated. If they open it, it will be suicidal for the elite and even for many common people because if you have revolution in North Korea it's going to be very messy and bloody," he said.
"Basically, you cannot maintain such a level of ideological mobilisation forever. Information is getting in."
