On Tuesday, the South Korean government, through Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young, expressed condolences for the passing of Kim Yong-nam, the former Chairman of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly Presidium.
A Unification Ministry official disclosed the condolence message to reporters. Minister Chung stated that former Chairman Kim played a crucial role in initiating inter-Korean dialogue by leading the North Korean delegation during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Further adding that it offers its sincere condolences and extend its sympathies to the bereaved family and North Korean officials.
Minister Chung also reflected that he recalls having meaningful discussions with Chairman Kim on two occasions in Pyongyang, in June 2005 and September 2018, focusing on peace on the Korean Peninsula and the advancement of inter-Korean relations.
During his tenure as Minister of Unification in 2005, Chung led a delegation to North Korea for the June 15 Unification Festival, meeting with Chairman Kim. He visited Pyongyang again in 2018 as a special envoy for the inter-Korean summit.
A Unification Ministry spokesperson explained the decision to issue condolences, saying that there’s precedent for government-level condolences when significant figures in inter-Korean relations pass away. Former Chairman Kim’s role as the North’s special envoy during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics was a key consideration.
This marks the first time since October 2005 that the South Korean government has sent condolences for a senior North Korean official’s death. At that time, then-Minister of Unification Lee Jong-seok expressed condolences for the passing of Kim Yong-chun, Vice Chairman of the National Defense Commission. In December 2015, similar condolences were sent for Kim Yang-gon, North Korea’s Secretary for South Korean Affairs, by then-Minister Hong Yong-pyo.
The official noted that previously, condolences were communicated through the Panmunjom liaison office. However, due to North Korea’s current rejection of all contact with the South, the government chose to express condolences through the media.
North Korean media, including the party newspaper Rodong Sinmun, reported that Kim Yong-nam had been undergoing treatment for colon cancer since June of last year. He passed away on Monday at the age of 97 due to multi-organ failure caused by cancer complications. According to Rodong Sinmun, Kim Jong Un visited the Sojang Hall in Pyongyang’s Potonggang District, where Kim’s body was laid, at 1:00 a.m. that day. He placed a wreath bearing his name and expressed deep condolences.