On a somber Wednesday morning in Pyongyang, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un led a state funeral for Kim Yong Nam, the country’s longtime ceremonial head of state, who passed away earlier this week at the age of 97. The event, marked by strict protocol and deep displays of mourning, drew senior officials, family members, and hundreds of citizens to the Patriotic Martyrs' Cemetery, where Kim Yong Nam was laid to rest with full honors.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), the funeral began with a procession through the capital’s streets. Mourners, dressed in black suits and military uniforms, bowed as a car bearing Kim Yong Nam’s flag-draped coffin and a large portrait made its way to the cemetery. At the entrance, Kim Jong Un and a 100-member funeral committee, including some of the most influential figures in North Korea’s political landscape, stood in silent tribute, awaiting the arrival of the cortege.
Kim Yong Nam, who was not related to the ruling Kim family, served as the president of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly from 1998 to April 2019. This role made him North Korea’s nominal head of state, even as real authority remained firmly with the Kim dynasty. Over his six-decade-long career, Kim Yong Nam played a pivotal part in North Korea’s diplomatic efforts, representing the country on the international stage and becoming a central figure in several historic moments.
Premier Pak Thae Song delivered the eulogy, praising Kim Yong Nam’s lifelong dedication to the nation. "All the participants prayed for the immortality of the pure soul and revolutionary spirit of Kim Yong Nam, who made a distinguished contribution to laying everlasting foundations for the eternal victory of socialism of our style," KCNA quoted the premier as saying. The tribute underscored the deep respect Kim Yong Nam commanded within North Korea’s political hierarchy.
State media images, broadcast on North Korean television and shared by outlets such as Yonhap and AP, showed citizens lining the funeral route, heads bowed in silent respect. The atmosphere was heavy with reverence, as mourners paid their last respects to a man who had, for decades, been a fixture of the country’s political life. Kim Jong Un himself, standing at the cemetery entrance, bowed in silent tribute alongside other dignitaries, a gesture laden with symbolism in a society where such displays are carefully choreographed.
Kim Yong Nam’s death on Monday, November 3, 2025, was attributed to multiple organ failure following a battle with colorectal cancer. State media reported that he had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since June of the previous year. His passing marks the end of an era in North Korean politics, as he was one of the last remaining officials who had served under all three leaders of the Kim dynasty—Kim Il Sung, Kim Jong Il, and Kim Jong Un.
During his two decades as the ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong Nam was often the face of North Korea in international settings. Perhaps most notably, in February 2018, he traveled to South Korea as the head of a high-level delegation to attend the opening of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Accompanied by Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, Kim Yong Nam met with then South Korean President Moon Jae-in, symbolizing a rare moment of diplomatic outreach between the two Koreas. This visit was widely seen as part of North Korea’s broader effort to engage with the world and seek economic relief through negotiations over its nuclear program.
Despite his prominent public role, Kim Yong Nam’s influence was largely symbolic. The real levers of power in North Korea have always been held by the Kim family, which has ruled the country as a hereditary dynasty since its founding in 1948. Nevertheless, Kim Yong Nam’s longevity in office and his participation in key diplomatic initiatives made him a respected figure both at home and abroad.
His tenure as president of the Standing Committee of the Supreme People’s Assembly spanned the leaderships of Kim Jong Il and Kim Jong Un. He was replaced by Choe Ryong Hae in April 2019, retiring at the age of 91 after more than sixty years in government service. According to Yonhap, he was one of the few officials to have witnessed and participated in the major shifts of North Korean policy over the decades, from the rigid isolationism of the Cold War era to the tentative diplomatic overtures of recent years.
The funeral also drew attention from outside North Korea. South Korean officials, including Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, extended their condolences following the announcement of Kim Yong Nam’s death. Rep. Park Jie-won of South Korea’s ruling party even expressed a desire to visit Pyongyang to pay his respects, should the North Korean government permit it. However, as reported by Yonhap, there was no indication that North Korea would respond to these gestures.
For the North Korean public, the funeral was not just the passing of a statesman but a carefully managed display of unity and continuity. State media emphasized Kim Yong Nam’s "distinguished contribution" to the party and state, framing his life as a model of revolutionary spirit and loyalty. Such narratives are central to North Korea’s political culture, which often uses the deaths of senior officials to reinforce the legitimacy of the regime and the solidarity of its leadership.
Observers outside the country noted the scale and solemnity of the ceremony. According to AP and KCNA, the presence of Kim Jong Un at the forefront of the funeral procession signaled the importance of the occasion. While Kim Yong Nam was never the true wielder of power, his role as a diplomatic figurehead and his decades of service were recognized with all the trappings of a state funeral.
As North Korea continues to navigate a challenging international environment—marked by ongoing sanctions, stalled diplomatic talks, and internal economic pressures—the passing of Kim Yong Nam serves as a reminder of the country’s complex political history. His career spanned eras of confrontation and cautious engagement, and his funeral was a rare moment of public ritual in a society that remains one of the world’s most closed.
In the end, Kim Yong Nam’s legacy is one of steadfast service and symbolic leadership. His funeral, attended by the highest echelons of North Korean power and broadcast to the nation, was both a farewell to a loyal servant of the state and a reaffirmation of the regime’s enduring traditions.
