Seoul, South Korea – Kim Yong-nam, the longtime ceremonial head of state of North Korea who navigated the treacherous political landscape under three generations of the Kim dynasty, has died at the age of 94, state media reported today. His decades-long survival-uncommon in a regime notorious for purges and executions-was attributed to a carefully cultivated image of unwavering loyalty and utter predictability.
Kim Yong-nam’s passing marks the end of an era for North Korea, offering a rare glimpse into the strategies required to endure within one of the world’s most isolated and ruthless political systems. While many officials fell from favor for displays of excessive or insufficient enthusiasm,or for misconstrued statements,Kim Yong-nam remained a constant presence,embodying a calculated neutrality that proved remarkably effective. His story illuminates the delicate balance of servility and self-effacement demanded of those closest to power in Pyongyang.
Known as a “clean” official, Kim Yong-nam deliberately avoided forming strong alliances or cultivating visible ambitions, presenting himself as a reliable, if unremarkable, figurehead. He served as president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly-North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament-from 1998 until his retirement in 2019, a period encompassing the reigns of Kim Il-sung, kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un.
His ability to survive was so pronounced that it became the subject of wry jokes among party cadres. Professor Lee, a North Korea expert, recounts a circulating anecdote from Pyongyang: it was said Kim Yong-nam “has no fingerprints, from rubbing his hands so much like a fervent sycophant before the three supreme leaders.” The jest underscored both the pervasive expectation of obsequiousness within the North korean hierarchy and Kim Yong-nam’s apparent mastery of the art.
