Nov 04, Kathmandu - Kim Yong-nam, the former head of North Korea's so-called "rubber stamp parliament" and a figurehead who served as its nominal head of state for more than two decades, has died at the age of 97.

His death was caused by multiple organ failure, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

Kim served as chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly from 1998 to 2019, a position that gave him symbolic responsibility as the formal head of state.

However, real power and decision-making authority were concentrated in the hands of then-leader Kim Jong Il and later his son, the current supreme leader Kim Jong Un.

According to KCNA, Kim Jong Un personally paid tribute to “expressing deep sorrow over his passing.” He visited the palace and consoled the bereaved family, the report said.

In a public photograph, Kim Jong Un is seen standing among senior officials and paying silent respects before the body of Kim Yong-nam, which is encased in a glass coffin.

Kim Yong Nam played an important role in expanding North Korea's diplomatic image externally during his tenure.

Most notably, he led the North Korean delegation at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The occasion was seen as a rare direct contact between the two Koreas in decades.

At that historic event, South Korean media widely reported that Kim Yong-nam had given Kim Yo Jong, the sister of Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un, a seat of honor at the front during a meeting with top South Korean officials.