Kim Ki Nam, a prominent figure in North Korean politics known for his role in building personality cults around the country's leaders, has passed away at the age of 94. The news was confirmed by North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency.
Kim Jong Un, the current leader of North Korea, paid his respects to Kim Ki Nam at a funeral hall in Pyongyang and offered condolences to the family. Kim Jong Un will also lead the state funeral committee for Kim Ki Nam, with the burial scheduled to take place on Thursday.
Described as a devoted figure in the country's ruling Workers' Party, Kim Ki Nam was recognized for his efforts in upholding the ideological purity of the revolution and advancing the socialist cause. He passed away on Tuesday after a year-long battle with age-related illnesses and multiple organ dysfunctions.
Kim Ki Nam's reputation extended beyond North Korea, with South Korean media referring to him as the 'North Korean Goebbels,' drawing parallels to Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Germany's propaganda minister. In 2009, he led a delegation to South Korea for the funeral of former President Kim Dae-jung, who had pursued engagement with North Korea.
Having served as a professor at Kim Il Sung University and the chief editorial writer of the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper, Kim Ki Nam later assumed leadership roles in the Worker's Party's propaganda departments in the 1980s. He was one of the seven senior officials who accompanied Kim Jong Un during the funeral procession of Kim Jong Il in 2011.
