North Korea’s longtime diplomat and former ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam, has died at the age of 97, state media reported on Tuesday. The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said Kim, who served as chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly from 1998 to 2019, passed away on Monday. His death marks the end of an era for one of the few officials to have worked closely with all three of the country’s leaders—Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un—while maintaining an unbroken record of loyalty within the tightly controlled regime.

Jocomms Correspondent reports that although Kim Yong Nam held largely ceremonial authority, his role as North Korea’s formal head of state made him the public face of the country’s diplomacy for over two decades. He represented Pyongyang at major global events, from United Nations summits to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, where he met with then-President Moon Jae-in. Analysts describe him as a rare figure in North Korean politics—one who wielded influence quietly through his vast network of patronage within the foreign ministry while avoiding the purges that often reshaped the country’s elite.

Born in 1928, Kim’s diplomatic career spanned more than half a century, beginning under the founding leader Kim Il Sung. His longevity and steady presence symbolized continuity amid North Korea’s rigid political order. As the nation enters a new chapter without one of its most enduring statesmen, observers are watching closely to see who will inherit his symbolic mantle in Pyongyang’s power structure. Could Kim Yong Nam’s passing mark the fading of an old guard that once bridged the past and present of North Korea’s leadership? Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.