12 Facts About Kim Yong-nam

1.

Kim Yong-nam is a North Korean retired politician who served as the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea, from 1998 until 2019.

2.

Kim Yong-nam was elected a member of the Presidium of the Workers' Party of Korea in 2010.

3.

Kim Yong-nam came to North Korea with the Chinese People's Volunteer Army during the Korean War and chose to stay.

4.

Kim Yong-nam held this office from September 5,1998 to April 11,2019.

5.

Kim Yong-nam has been assessed as having high-level political and diplomatic skills.

6.

Kim Yong-nam embarked on a two-week tour of Mongolia, Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Singapore on July 20,2007.

7.

Kim Yong-nam held talks with Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba and signed an agreement on public health cooperation with Pohamba.

8.

Kim Yong-nam attended the 2008 Summer Olympics opening ceremony on August 8,2008,2014 Winter Olympics opening ceremony on February 7,2014,2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony on February 9,2018, and the 2018 FIFA World Cup opening ceremony on June 14,2018.

9.

On July 14,2009, Kim Yong-nam met Vietnamese president Nguyen Minh Triet on the sidelines of the 15th Non-Aligned Movement Summit in Egypt.

10.

Kim Yong-nam represented North Korea at the 2015 Victory Day parade in Moscow on May 9,2015, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.

11.

Kim Yong-nam paid an official visit to Equatorial Guinea on May 19,2016 to attend the presidential inauguration of Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

12.

Kim Yong-nam retired on April 11,2019 in a government reshuffle, aged 91, after almost 21 years as President of the SPA Presidium and roughly four decades as Party Politburo member.