NKorea: Influential Former Official Kim Ki Nam Dies at 94

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Facts

• Former North Korean official, Kim Ki Nam, died Tuesday at 94. The North's state media reflected that he furthered the 'information and publicity field' and played 'a distinguished role in thoroughly establishing the monolithic leadership system of the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un.'¹
• He was part of a core group of loyal regime supporters who helped maintain the three generations of the dynasty since its inception in 1945, reportedly serving as deputy head of the regime's public relations from 1966 to 1985 and then as a chief in that function until 2017.²
• Kim Ki Nam — who was not a member of the ruling dynasty — also coordinated actions to establish the role of Kim Il Sung as the country's founding father, as well as to support the succession of leadership to Kim Jong Il.³
• Kim Ki Nam was one of seven officials to join Kim Jong Un in the hearse of his father and late leader, Kim Jong Il, in 2011.⁴
• His death is not expected to change the regime's current public relations style, given that Kim Ki Nam is believed to have retired around 2018.⁵
• Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, eventually took over the role beginning in the late 2010s. According to state media, the country's leader will lead the funeral committee and Kim Ki Nam will be buried on Thursday.⁶

Sources: ¹KCNA Watch, ²Reuters.com, ³BBC News, ⁴NBC, ⁵NK News and ⁶Dw.Com.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Vox. Kim Ki Nam dies as a symbol of the decades that the North Korean government has maintained control over its people largely thanks to its powerful propaganda machine. The way a starving population has been tricked is unfathomable and he should be remembered for his cruelty.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Fmprc. When it comes to 'propaganda,' North Korea is actually the victim and the US is the purveyor in movies, television, and more recently, social media. Kim Ki Nam lived proudly in opposition to the lies the US has spread in order to convince other countries to accept its interventionist agenda and look at the US as a hero.

Predictions