Kim family’s master propagandist dies at 94
State media announced on Wednesday the passing of Kim Ki Nam, the former master of propaganda in North Korea, at the age of 94. According to the official KCNA, he succumbed to old age and “multiple organ dysfunction” after receiving treatment in 2022.
Kim Ki Nam played a pivotal role for decades in shaping propaganda efforts within the totalitarian regime, notably fostering a personality cult around the ruling Kim dynasty.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un paid respects at his funeral early Wednesday, praising him as a “veteran revolutionary who remained steadfastly loyal” to the regime, as reported by KCNA.
Drawing parallels, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency likened him to Joseph Goebbels, the propagandist of Nazi Germany, famous for the adage “repeat a lie often enough and it becomes the truth.”
Despite lacking familial ties to the ruling patriarchy, Kim Ki Nam ascended to prominence, serving as deputy director of Pyongyang’s Propaganda and Agitation Department from 1966.
He collaborated closely with Kim Jong Il, the predecessor and father of Kim Jong Un, before ultimately leading the department himself.
Reports suggest a close camaraderie between Kim Ki Nam and Kim Jong Il, often described in media as “drinking buddies.” In the 1970s, he assumed control of the state-run Rodong Sinmun newspaper.
He later led initiatives to establish the role of Kim Il Sung – widely seen as North Korea’s founding father – in the country’s history, and to support Kim Jong Il’s succession of leadership, according to North Korea Leadership Watch, a site on Pyongyang’s political culture.
For decades, he also served as the key author of the state’s political slogans and wielded great influence over its media and publishing operations, and even in the fine arts.
In 2015, images on state media showed the tall, bespectacled official – in his 80s at that time – standing among a group of military officials and taking notes while Kim Jong Un spoke.
He retired in the late 2010s, passing on his role to Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong, but has continued to appear at public events – a sign that he remained on good terms with the regime.
