Kim Yong-dae (politician)


Kim Yong-dae is a North Korean politician. He is the leader of the Korean Social Democratic Party, a Vice President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, and the chairman of the National Reconciliation Council.

Career

Kim Yong-dae was born on 12 December 1937 in South Hamgyong Province. He is a graduate of Kim Il-sung University, where he completed a three-year course.
Kim became the Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of the Korean Social Democratic Party in September 1989. He became its Chairman in August 1998.
Kim was first elected a member of the Supreme People's Assembly in the 1990 North Korean parliamentary election. As the parliament began its session, Kim was chosen as the Vice Chairman of its Foreign Affairs committee and a member of the Credentials Committee. Next year, he became the President of the Parliamentary North Korea–Indonesia Friendship Group, Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary North Korea–Iran Friendship Group, and Vice President of the North Korea–Japan Friendship Association.
Kim renewed his SPA seat in 1998 and in 2003. In 2009, he was elected again, this time from the 97th Electoral District.
Kim has been a Vice President of the SPA Presidium since 1998. Kim's constituency since the 2019 North Korean parliamentary election is the 118th Electoral District. He is also the Chairman of the National Reconciliation Council.
Fyodor Tertitskiy of NK News characterizes Kim as "just another North Korean bureaucrat" and of less interest than Ryu Mi-yong, the head of the other minor party, Chondoist Chongu Party. Kim was placed second to last on the funeral committee of Kim Jong-il, ahead of only Ryu, testifying to the low-ranking position of heads of minor parties in the North Korean hierarchy.
In August 2004, he met with Ted Turner, the founder of CNN, although the meeting was strictly supervised. In 2012, Kim Yong-dae met with the South Korean Unified Progressive Party representatives and signed a joint-statement condemning Japan's activities in the Liancourt Rocks dispute.
He received the Order of Kim Jong-il in February 2012.