South Asian News Network

Kim Yong-nam, the former head of North Korea’s so-called “rubber stamp parliament” and a figurehead for more than two decades, has died at the age of 97. His death was due to multiple organ failure, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

Kim served as chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly from 1998 to 2019. The position gave him symbolic responsibility as the formal head of state. However, real power and decision-making authority were concentrated in the hands of then-leader Kim Jong-il and later his son, the current supreme leader Kim Jong-un.

According to KCNA, Kim Jong-un personally paid tribute to “expressing deep sorrow over his passing.” He visited the palace and consoled the bereaved family, the report said. In a public photograph, Kim Jong-un is seen standing among senior officials, paying silent respects to the body of Kim Yong-nam, which is encased in a glass coffin.

Kim Yong-nam played a key role in boosting North Korea’s diplomatic image abroad during his tenure. He led the North Korean delegation to the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in what was seen as the rarest direct contact between the two Koreas in decades.

At the historic event, South Korean media widely reported that Kim Yong-nam had given Kim Yo-jong, the sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, a front-row seat to a meeting with senior South Korean officials. The act was interpreted as a symbol of his loyalty and respect for the top leader’s family, which has helped him maintain stability in North Korea’s political structure for decades.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul also issued a statement on Monday expressing deep sorrow over Kim’s death. Minister Chung Dong-yung recalled that “the meetings with Kim Yong-nam in Pyongyang in 2005 and 2018 were examples of meaningful dialogue towards peace and mutual understanding on the Korean Peninsula.”

According to Minister Chung, Kim’s visit to the South for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics had “made a significant contribution to opening the door to inter-Korean dialogue and improving relations.”

Observers have said that the death of Kim Yong-nam, who was considered North Korea’s long-time diplomatic figure, marks the end of an era in the country’s political history.