World
Ex-North Korean Ceremonial Head of State Kim Yong Nam is dead
Kim Yong Nam, the former president of the Presidium of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly and the country’s ceremonial head of state for over two decades, has died at the age of 97.
State media outlet Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) announced on Tuesday that Kim passed away from multiple organ failure.
Kim held the largely symbolic role of head of state from 1998 to 2019, serving under the leadership of Kim Jong Il and later his son, Kim Jong Un.
Although he represented North Korea in diplomatic engagements and official ceremonies abroad, real political authority rested with the country’s supreme leaders.
During his tenure, Kim Yong Nam was known for his role in maintaining North Korea’s diplomatic presence on the global stage, particularly during times of heightened tension and international sanctions.
Kim Jong Un visited his bier “to express deep condolences over his death”, KCNA said.
A photo showed Kim Jong Un, flanked by senior officials, paying his respects before the bier, where the deceased man lay in a glass coffin.
In 2018, Kim Yong Nam led a North Korean delegation to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea — a rare trip on the peninsula where both countries technically remain at war.
Although he was the head of the delegation, South Korean media widely reported that Kim Yong Nam yielded the seat of honour to Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, during a meeting with South Korean officials.
The gesture sparked speculation that Kim Yong Nam had retained positions in North Korea’s purge-prone political scene for decades by showing deference to the family of the supreme leaders.
Seoul’s unification ministry, which handles its relation with the North, expressed condolences over Kim’s death in a statement.
Minister Chung Dong-young said he engaged in “meaningful discussions on peace on the Korean Peninsula” when he met with Kim in Pyongyang in 2005 and 2018.
Kim’s 2018 visit to the South for the Pyeongchang winter Olympics contributed “in opening the door to inter-Korean dialogue”, Chung added.
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