Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s Former Ceremonial Head of State, Dies at 97
Kim Yong-nam, who served as North Korea’s ceremonial head of state for more than two decades, has died at age 97, state media reported Tuesday.
The veteran diplomat held the prestigious position of President of the Supreme Assembly, technically making him the nation’s head of state, though real power remained with the Kim dynasty. During his twenty-year tenure, he became one of the most recognizable faces of North Korean diplomacy.
His 2018 visit to South Korea for the Winter Olympics proved particularly significant, helping to open the door to inter-Korean dialogue during a period of heightened tensions on the peninsula. The diplomatic mission marked a rare instance of high-level contact between the divided nations.