North Korea’s state media reported Tuesday that the North’s former titular head of state, Kim Yong-nam, who had led Pyongyang’s diplomacy for many years, has died on the age of 97, with chief Kim Jong-un expressing deep condolences over his demise earlier within the day.
Kim Yong-nam, former chairman of the North’s rubber-stamp Supreme Folks’s Meeting, died the day prior to this from a number of organ failure associated to cancer-linked poisoning, the North’s Korean Central Information Company (KCNA) reported.
Kim Yong-nam has been battling colorectal most cancers since June final 12 months.
North Korean chief Kim Jong-un visited his bier at 1 a.m. Tuesday to specific “deep condolences,” accompanied by main senior social gathering and authorities officers, the KCNA mentioned.
Kim Yong-nam visited South Korea as head of the North’s delegation to the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics.
The parliamentary standing committee and the cupboard determined to carry a state funeral for Kim Yong-nam on Tuesday, and his coffin will go away the power Wednesday to be laid to relaxation. The state funeral committee consists of North Korean chief Kim Jong-un, Premier Pak Thae-song, present parliamentary standing committee chairman Choe Ryong-hae and different officers.
Born right into a household of “anti-Japanese patriots,” Kim Yong-nam had attended Kim Il Sung College and studied in Moscow, Russia, earlier than starting his public service profession in diplomacy.
He had since served in high-profile diplomatic posts spanning the regimes of nationwide founder Kim Il-sung, late chief Kim Jong-il and present chief Kim Jong-un.
Below Kim Il-sung’s authorities, he served as international minister.
For 21 years because the begin of Kim Jong-il’s rule, he served as chairman of the parliamentary standing committee, a place that at the moment represented the top of state, albeit in a titular capability.
Below Kim Jong-il, the previous parliamentary standing committee chairman dealt with most summit diplomacy on behalf of the chief, who tended to keep away from exterior affairs, successfully rising as North Korea’s consultant on the worldwide stage.
In 2018, he visited South Korea as head of a North Korean delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which included Kim Yo-jong — the highly effective sister of the chief — and held a gathering with then President Moon Jae-in.
He retired from six many years of public service on the age of 91 in 2019.
“Comrade Kim Yong-nam, an old-generation revolutionary who left extraordinary achievements within the improvement historical past of our social gathering and nation, wrapped up his noble life at age of 97,” the KCNA mentioned.
