Overview
- State media KCNA said Kim Yong Nam died Monday of multiple organ failure after a battle with colorectal cancer.
- Kim Jong Un visited Kim’s bier early Tuesday, and a state funeral is set for Thursday with a 100-member committee headed by the leader.
- Kim served as president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly from 1998 to 2019, a role that made him North Korea’s nominal head of state.
- A veteran diplomat, he previously spent about 15 years as foreign minister and led the North’s delegation to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, where he met then–South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
- South Korea’s Unification Minister issued condolences via a press message, noting closed inter-Korean communication lines.