Kim Yong Nam, North Korea’s former ceremonial leader for more than two decades, has died at the age of 97, state media reported Tuesday.
State broadcaster Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the former diplomat died of multiple organ failure. On Monday. It said Kim Jong Un visited his remains “to express his deep condolences on his death.”
The country will hold a state funeral for him on Thursday.
He was known for his diplomacy, reverence for the Kim family, and his trademark campaign speeches.
Who was Kim Yong Nam?
Kim Yong Nam, born in 1928, held key positions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He played a key role in shaping North Korea’s diplomatic approach under the country’s founder Kim Il Sung.
He served as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly for over 20 years between 1998 and 2019. This position 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 current supreme leader Kim Jong Un took over next.
Always a formal personality, Kim was in a unique position to wield significant influence despite not being from the Yong Nam family.
Under Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Nam still served as a diplomatic face, welcoming important visitors to Pyongyang.
How did Kim Yong Nam remain in office for so long?
In 2018 he visited South Korea as head of the North Korean delegation for the Winter Olympics along with Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister Kim Yo Jong. There he met Moon Jae-in, then-President of South Korea, a rare meeting, given that the neighbors remain technically at war.
During the visit, South Korean media widely reported that he offered Kim Yo Jong a seat of honor when meeting with South Korean officials, which was interpreted as a sign of his respect for the family, which analysts argue helped him maintain his position for so long.
Kim Jong Nam survived several political purges during the 1970s, most recently in 2013 when Kim Jong Un, newly in power, is said to have executed several people, including his ruling uncle.
However, in recent years their effectiveness has been seen to wane with increasing age.
Edited by: Rana Taha