 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Muna 1935, Kim akatora zita rokuti Kim Il-sung, rinoreva kuti Kim akava zuva. Kim akagadzwa kuva mutungamiri weboka rechi6 muna 1937, pazera remakore 24, achidzora mazana mashomanana evarume muboka rakazozivikanwa seboka raKim Il-sung. Achitungamirira boka iri, akauraya Pochonbo, musi wa4 June 1937. Kunyange zvazvo divi raKim rakangotora guta duku raichengetwa neJapan mukati memuganhu weKorea kwemaawa mashomanana, zvisinei zvaifungidzirwa kubudirira kwemauto panguva ino, apo mapoka emagandanga akanga asangana nematambudziko ekutora chero nzvimbo yemuvengi. Kubudirira uku kwaizoita kuti Kim ave nomukurumbira pakati pevarwi vechiChinese, uye nyaya dzoupenyu hwevanhu vokuNorth Korea dzaizozvishandisa sechinhu chikuru chakaitwa neKorea. Nokuda kwavo, vaJapan vairangarira Kim somumwe wavatungamiriri vanobudirira zvikurusa navakakurumbira vevapanduki veKorea. Iye akaoneka pandandanda dzevaJapan vaitsvakwa saTiger. Maeda Unit yeJapan yakatumirwa kunomuvhima muna February 1940. Gare gare muna 1940, vaJapan vakapamba mukadzi ainzi Kim Hye-sun, anofungidzirwa kuva mudzimai wokutanga waKim Il-Sung. Pashure pokumushandisa somusungwa kuedza kunyengetedza vapanduki vokuKorea kuti vazviise pasi, akaurawa. Kim akagadzwa kuva mutungamiri we2nd operational region ye1st Army, asi pakupera kwa1940 ndiye chete mutungamiri we1st Army akanga achiri mupenyu. Vachidzingirirwa nemauto eJapan, Kim nevakanga vasara veuto rake vakapukunyuka nokuyambuka Rwizi rweAmur vachipinda muSoviet Union. Kim akaendeswa kumusasa paVyatskoye pedyo neKhabarovsk, uko vaSoviet vakadzidzisazve mapoka evapanduki vokuKorea. Muna August 1942, Kim neuto rake vakagoverwa kuchikwata chaicho chinozivikanwa se88th Separate Rifle Brigade, icho chaiva cheSoviet Red Army. Mukuru mukuru waKim akanga ari Zhou Baozhong. Kim akava Major muSoviet Red Army uye akashanda mairi kusvikira pakapera Hondo Yenyika II muna 1945. 