Former North Korean Head of State Kim Yong Nam Dies at 97

North Korea’s long-serving statesman Kim Yong Nam, a veteran diplomat who worked under three generations of the ruling Kim dynasty, has died at the age of 97, state media confirmed.

According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim passed away on November 3, 2025, from multiple organ failure. The report hailed him as an “old-generation revolutionary” who made “extraordinary contributions” to the country’s political and diplomatic history.

Kim Yong Nam was not a member of the Kim family, but he was one of its most trusted loyalists. He served as President of the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s ceremonial head of state, from 1998 to 2019, spanning the leadership of Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un.

Born during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Kim studied at Kim Il Sung University and in Moscow, before joining the Workers’ Party in the 1950s. He rose through the ranks to become Foreign Minister, and for decades was seen as North Korea’s diplomatic face to the world, representing the regime at international events.

He famously led North Korea’s delegation to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where he met then–South Korean President Moon Jae-in, alongside Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yo Jong.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Kim Yong Nam avoided political purges, surviving three regimes without controversy. Defector Thae Yong Ho, a former North Korean diplomat, described him as a “model loyalist who never expressed personal opinions” — a survival tactic in Pyongyang’s volatile power structure.

A state funeral has been held in his honour, marking the end of an era for one of North Korea’s longest-serving officials.