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

Kim Yong Nam, North Korea’s longtime ceremonial head of state and one of the country’s most prominent political figures, has died at the age of 97, state media reported on Tuesday, November 4.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim Yong Nam, who served as president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly from 1998 to 2019, died on Monday from multiple organ failure. His funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

KCNA said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Kim Yong Nam’s bier on Tuesday to pay his respects and express condolences. Though he shared the Kim surname, Kim Yong Nam was not related to Kim Jong Un or the ruling Kim family.

Kim Yong Nam, who joined the ruling Workers’ Party shortly after the Korean War, remained a loyal bureaucrat throughout his decades-long career. Known for his deep voice and propaganda-filled speeches, he represented North Korea at major diplomatic events and greeted visiting foreign dignitaries on behalf of the country’s leaders.

During his tenure, he frequently appeared in state media alongside Kim Jong Il and later Kim Jong Un. In 2018, he attended the opening ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea, traveling with Kim Jong Un’s sister, Kim Yo Jong. The trip marked a rare moment of diplomatic engagement between the two Koreas, and Kim Yong Nam became the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the South in years.

Although he did not take part in the 2018 and 2019 summits between Kim Jong Un and then-U.S. President Donald Trump, Kim Yong Nam was long considered a key figure in Pyongyang’s external affairs. He was replaced in 2019 by Choe Ryong Hae, one of Kim Jong Un’s close allies.

Kim Yong Nam joined the Workers’ Party in the 1950s, survived numerous political purges, and served as foreign minister from 1983 to 1998. During his time in office, he witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, events that left North Korea increasingly isolated.

He was also active in non-aligned diplomacy, representing Pyongyang at international gatherings such as the 2012 Non-Aligned Movement summit in Iran.

Kim Yong Nam’s life and career embodied the archetype of a loyal North Korean statesman — one who maintained unwavering allegiance to the Kim dynasty throughout his service.