Africa Map

African Press Agency

African Press Agency Logo
   

 Home
 Country Profile
 Useful Links
 Contact us

Home

Koreas/OlympicsBack
[Published: Monday February 05 2018]

 North Korea's head of parliament to visit South

Pyongyang 5 Feb (ANA) - North Korea's head of state will go to Pyeongchang this week for the Winter Olympics, the most senior official to ever visit South Korea. North Korea confirmed Kim Yong-nam's attendance at the opening ceremony, set for Friday. Both Koreas will march under one flag at the opening ceremony.
 
Although this signals a thaw in relations between the Koreas, experts say it is unlikely to have any impact on the North's nuclear ambitions. Mr Kim will be in the South for a three-day visit and will lead a 22-member delegation.
 
 
The 90-year-old Kim Yong-nam has seen the rule of all three North Korean leaders in his career. He is the ceremonial head of state who receives credentials from foreign diplomats in Pyongyang. As such, he is usually responsible for sending condolences or congratulatory messages to foreign leaders.
 
He has been the president of North Korea's rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, since 1998. Unlike the current leader Kim Jong-un, Kim Yong-nam has travelled abroad on official visits. In August 2017, he travelled to Iran to attend President Hassan Rouhani's inauguration ceremony for his second term in office.
 
He also attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia in 2014. Mr Kim is said to be a loyal follower of the top leadership. "As Kim is known to be acting and speaking under the country's guidance, he makes no mistakes. That's why he could keep his high-level post in a country where political purges are common," South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted one North Korean defector as saying.(ANA)
FA/ANA/5 February 2018---------
 

North South News website

Advertise banner

News icon EU/Kenya/Pesticides
News icon UN/Israel/Gza
News icon US/Israel/Gaza
News icon Pakistan/ISI Interference
News icon EU/North Africa
News icon Senegal/Elections
News icon Israel/Gaza Massacre
News icon Russia/NATO
News icon Gaza/Victims Number
News icon Kenya/Uganda

AFRICAN PRESS AGENCY Copyright © 2005 - 2007