(Bloomberg) -- Kim Jong Un's pick to lead North Korea's delegation to the Winter Olympics in South Korea is both symbolic and politically safe.
Kim has turned to an elder statesman in picking Kim Yong Nam, the isolated regime's ceremonial head of state. South Korea's presidential Blue House said Monday that he was the highest-ranking Pyongyang official to ever travel south of the heavily fortified border, but the 90-year-old is seen has having little actual power.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in is considering holding a one-on-one meeting with Kim Yong Nam, the Yonhap News Agency said, citing unidentified officials from the president's office. South Korea's Chosun Ilbo newspaper said that visiting U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has asked Seoul to ensure he doesn't encounter North Korean officials at Friday's opening ceremony, underscoring the tensions during the most politically charged Olympics in years.
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South Korean media and analysts had speculated the delegation might be led by either Choe Ryong Hae, Kim's No. 2 official; or the leader's sister, Kim Yo Jong. Unlike Choe, Kim Yong Nam isn't subject to South Korean sanctions. Picking his younger sibling would've been symbolic but politically provocative, because she would've been the first Kim family member to visit South Korea.
“Kim Yong Nam's presence is a good sign,” said Andrei Lankov, a historian at Kookmin University in Seoul who once studied in Pyongyang. “Technically, he is the most senior statesman, unlike Choe Ryong Hae, whose current position in the hierarchy is uncertain, in spite of his significant political clout.”
Lankov said that the politician's presence indicated that North Korea wanted to show it was serious about cooperation. “North Koreans are increasingly careful. They are afraid that the U.S. will start shooting and hope to diffuse the tensions,” he said.
Kim Yong Nam has sometimes represented North Korea overseas in recent years, visiting Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Singapore and Vietnam.
--With assistance from Kanga Kong and Seyoon Kim
To contact the reporter on this story: Andy Sharp in Tokyo at asharp5@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Brendan Scott at bscott66@bloomberg.net, Ruth Pollard
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