Former North Korean head of state Kim Yong Nam dies at 97

Kim Yong Nam, North Korea’s former ceremonial head of state and one of the country’s longest-serving officials, has died at the age of 97, state media reported on Tuesday.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim died on Monday from multiple organ failure related to cancer. The agency described him as “an old-generation revolutionary who left extraordinary achievements in the development history of our party and country.”

KCNA said that leader Kim Jong Un visited Kim Yong Nam’s bier early Tuesday to pay his respects. A state funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

Known for his resonant speeches and unwavering loyalty to the Kim dynasty, Kim Yong Nam served as president of the Supreme People’s Assembly, the post of North Korea’s nominal head of state, from 1998 until 2019. In practice, real power has always rested with the Kim family, which has ruled the country since its founding in 1948.

Kim Yong Nam was often seen representing the regime at international events, greeting visiting dignitaries on behalf of both Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un. Though he shared the Kim surname, he was not related to the ruling family.

A career diplomat, Kim played key roles during pivotal moments in North Korea’s political history. After the death of Kim Il Sung in 1994, he read the late leader’s elegy and later formally nominated Kim Jong Il to head the National Defence Commission.

In February 2018, he attended the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea alongside Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister, marking one of the highest-level North Korean visits to the South in years. The trip was part of Pyongyang’s brief diplomatic thaw with Seoul and Washington.

Kim Yong Nam’s influence waned in his later years as younger officials, including Choe Ryong Hae, assumed leadership roles. He was replaced as head of the parliament in April 2019.

Born in Pyongyang, Kim studied at Kim Il Sung University and later at Moscow State University before embarking on a political career that spanned seven decades.