Kim Yong-nam
As chairman of the Presidium, Kim Yong-nam was sometimes called the "nominal head of state" of North Korea. He held this office from September 5, 1998 to April 11, 2019. The President of the Presidium is sometimes considered the "number two official". The journalist and academic Don Oberdorfer described Kim as enigmatic, rigid in his official role, personally pleasant, highly intelligent, and an important figure behind the scenes in Pyongyang. He has been assessed as having high-level political and diplomatic skills.