State media has announced the passing of Kim Yong-nam at the age of 97.
North Korea’s state media confirmed on Tuesday that Kim Yong-nam, who served as the nation’s final ceremonial head, has died at 97.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) disclosed that Kim succumbed to multiple organ failure on November 3, after an illness. He held no familial connection to North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Between 1998 and 2019, he held the highest ceremonial office as the head of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s legislative body. Prior to this, he acted as the nation’s foreign minister from 1983 to 1998. APTN reported that those who encountered him characterized him as gentle in demeanor but unwavering in his convictions.
Following his retirement in 2019 and subsequent revisions to the constitution, the responsibilities previously linked to the head of state were integrated into the State Affairs Commission, which is presided over by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Kim Yong-nam maintained strong connections with both the Soviet Union and Russia. He received his education in the Soviet Union from 1946 to 1959, focusing on history at Tomsk and Rostov State Universities. Kim made frequent visits to the USSR and later to Russia.
His most recent public appearances included the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War in Moscow in 2015 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he met President Vladimir Putin each time. Additionally, he participated in the inaugural ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics held in Sochi.
Throughout his career, Kim Yong-nam held a deliberate yet significant role in fostering relations with Seoul. South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young offered his condolences regarding Kim’s demise, noting that Kim facilitated discussions by heading Pyongyang’s delegation to the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics and recalled “meaningful discussions on peace and South-North relations” from their encounters in 2005 and 2018.