Kim Ki-nam, the former propaganda chief of the ruling Worker’s Party of North Korea who led the idolization of Kim Il-sung, Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-un over three generations, has passed away at the age of 94. According to the Korean Central News Agency on the 8th, Kim Ki-nam, who had been receiving treatment in bed for various chronic illnesses since April 2022, passed away on May 7, 2024, at 10 a.m. The funeral will be conducted as a national funeral with Kim Jong-un, chairman of the State Affairs Commission, serving as the chairman of the state funeral committee.
Starting as the deputy head of the Party’s propaganda and agitation department in the 1960s, Kim Ki-nam served in various positions including head of propaganda and agitation and personal secretary for propaganda. He led the idolization of the Kim family and the legitimacy of the hereditary succession, earning him the nickname “North Korea’s Goebbels.”
He also visited Seoul several times. In 2005, he visited Seoul to participate in the August 15 National Liberation Day ceremony and paid respects at the National Cemetery. In August 2009, he came to Seoul as part of a condolence delegation following the passing of former President Kim Dae-jung.