North Korea’s former ceremonial head of state dies aged 97

Kim Yong Nam, the former ceremonial head of North Korea for over two decades, has died at the age of 97, state media reported on Tuesday.

State broadcaster Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that the former diplomat died of multiple organ failure on Monday. Kim Jong Un visited his remains “to express deep condolences over his death,” it said.

The country will hold a state funeral for him on Thursday.

He was known for his diplomacy, reverence to the Kim family and his trademark propaganda speeches.

Who was Kim Yong Nam?

Born in 1928, Kim Yong Nam served in key foreign ministry positions. He played a vital role in shaping North Korea’s diplomatic approach under the nation’s founder Kim Il Sung.

He went on to serve as the president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly for over 20 years between 1998 to 2019. The post made him a symbolic head of state at a time when Kim Jong Il was the real decision-making power in the country.

Kim Jong Il died in 2011. His son and the current Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un took over next.

Always a ceremonial figurehead, Kim Yong Nam was in a unique position to hold significant influence despite not being from the family.

Under Kim Jong Un, Kim Yong Nam still served as a diplomatic face, welcoming important visitors to Pyongyang.

How did Kim Yong Nam maintain his post for so long?

In 2018 he visited South Korea as the head of the North Korean delegation, alongside Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong, for the Winter Olympics. There he met then South Korea President Moon Jae-in, a rare encounter considering the neighbours have technically remained at war.

During the visit, South Korean media widely reported him offering the seat of honor to Kim Yo Jong when meeting South Korean officials, in a move interpreted as a sign of his deference to the family, which analysts argue helped him maintain his position for so long.

Kim Yong Nam survived several political purges through the 1970s, to one as recent as 2013 when then newly in power Kim Jong Un is said to have held a series of executions including that of his power uncle.

In recent years, though, his influence was seen to have waned with aging.

China offers condolences

China expressed “deep condolences” on the leader’s passing, in a regularly held press conference by the Foreign Ministry.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning described Kim Yong Nam as an old friend of China who “made significant contributions to the development of traditional friendly and cooperative relations between China and North Korea.”