Who is Kim Yong-nam and why was he chosen to attend the Winter Olympics?
- 6 years ago
Kim Yong-nam will lead North Korea's delegation to the PyeongChang Olympics this week.
The 90 year old, who is the North's ceremonial leader,... will be the highest ranking North Korean official to ever visit the South.
The focus now turns to why HE was chosen among the few candidates who were available,.. including Kim Jong-un's sister and his right hand man: Choe Ryong-hae.
For a closer look at the the possible reasons,... here's Lee Jeong-yeon.
With less than five days to go until the PyeongChang Winter Olympics kick off, North Korea confirmed the attendance of Kim Yong-nam at the opening ceremony.
The 90-year-old is North Korea's ceremonial head of state who has been serving for three generations of the regime's founding dynasty, Kim Il-sung, his son Kim Jong-il, and his grandson Kim Jong-un.
He has been the President of the Supreme People's Assembly, since 1998, which according to the regime's constitution means he 'represents North Korea.' He previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
This won't be his first Winter Olympics, as he has already attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
Before this decision was made however, pundits had speculated the delegation might be led by Kim's right arm Choe Ryong-hae. Experts' opinions differ on the main reason why Kim Yong-nam was sent over Choe Ryong-hae.
"Kim Yong-nam is known to be a loyal bureaucrat of the regime who has long dealt with foreign affairs so he hasn't been much involved in the domestic whirlwind of political games."
"Neither Kim Yong-nam nor Choe Ryong-hae has strong political tendencies although some might differentiate the two. The fact is neither has the power to act independently."
They do agree however, that Kim Yong-nam is the go-to official to represent the regime abroad.
"At least by sending Kim Yong-nam, North Korea can avoid heat from the international community and avoid violating sanctions against the regime."
These sanctions refer to South Korea's unilateral punitive measures against the regime that ban financial transactions with Choe Ryong-hae.
As for the other candidate, Kim Yo-jong, who is the current leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, experts say chances of her coming were slim to begin with,.. as choosing her may have been counterproductive for various reasons, including her lack experience in foreign affairs as well as the risk of revealing her relation with the regime's leader, a fact that many Noth Koreans are seemingly unaware of.
Lee Jeong-yeon, Arirang News
The 90 year old, who is the North's ceremonial leader,... will be the highest ranking North Korean official to ever visit the South.
The focus now turns to why HE was chosen among the few candidates who were available,.. including Kim Jong-un's sister and his right hand man: Choe Ryong-hae.
For a closer look at the the possible reasons,... here's Lee Jeong-yeon.
With less than five days to go until the PyeongChang Winter Olympics kick off, North Korea confirmed the attendance of Kim Yong-nam at the opening ceremony.
The 90-year-old is North Korea's ceremonial head of state who has been serving for three generations of the regime's founding dynasty, Kim Il-sung, his son Kim Jong-il, and his grandson Kim Jong-un.
He has been the President of the Supreme People's Assembly, since 1998, which according to the regime's constitution means he 'represents North Korea.' He previously served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
This won't be his first Winter Olympics, as he has already attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia in 2014.
Before this decision was made however, pundits had speculated the delegation might be led by Kim's right arm Choe Ryong-hae. Experts' opinions differ on the main reason why Kim Yong-nam was sent over Choe Ryong-hae.
"Kim Yong-nam is known to be a loyal bureaucrat of the regime who has long dealt with foreign affairs so he hasn't been much involved in the domestic whirlwind of political games."
"Neither Kim Yong-nam nor Choe Ryong-hae has strong political tendencies although some might differentiate the two. The fact is neither has the power to act independently."
They do agree however, that Kim Yong-nam is the go-to official to represent the regime abroad.
"At least by sending Kim Yong-nam, North Korea can avoid heat from the international community and avoid violating sanctions against the regime."
These sanctions refer to South Korea's unilateral punitive measures against the regime that ban financial transactions with Choe Ryong-hae.
As for the other candidate, Kim Yo-jong, who is the current leader Kim Jong-un's younger sister, experts say chances of her coming were slim to begin with,.. as choosing her may have been counterproductive for various reasons, including her lack experience in foreign affairs as well as the risk of revealing her relation with the regime's leader, a fact that many Noth Koreans are seemingly unaware of.
Lee Jeong-yeon, Arirang News