Kim Yong Nam, North Korea’s former ceremonial head of state who served for over two decades as the president of the presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, has died at the age of 97, state media reported on Tuesday.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim died from multiple organ failure. He was known for representing North Korea on the international stage and was considered a key figure in the country’s political hierarchy, though ultimate power resided with the country’s leaders, first Kim Jong Il and later his son, Kim Jong Un.
Kim Jong Un visited the late statesman’s coffin to pay his respects, KCNA reported, with accompanying photographs showing the North Korean leader standing solemnly before the bier alongside senior officials.
Kim Yong Nam served as the country’s nominal head of state from 1998 until 2019, overseeing official ceremonies and diplomatic engagements. Despite his largely symbolic role, he was regarded as an enduring fixture in North Korea’s tightly controlled political structure.
One of Kim’s most notable appearances came in 2018 when he led the North Korean delegation to the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The visit marked a rare high-profile exchange between the two Koreas, which technically remain at war.
During that trip, Kim was seen ceding the seat of honour to Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Kim Jong Un, a gesture that observers said reflected his deference to the ruling Kim family — a factor believed to have helped him survive North Korea’s often volatile political environment.
Reacting to the news, South Korea’s unification ministry extended condolences, with Minister Chung Dong-young recalling “meaningful discussions on peace on the Korean Peninsula” during meetings with Kim in 2005 and 2018.
Chung also noted that Kim’s 2018 visit to the South “helped open the door to inter-Korean dialogue,” contributing to a brief thaw in relations between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Kim Yong Nam’s death marks the end of an era for one of North Korea’s longest-serving officials, who bridged the leadership of three generations of the Kim dynasty.
