North Korea mourns the loss of Kim Ki-nam, the longtime propaganda chief famously dubbed the 'Goebbels of North Korea,' as confirmed by North Korean state media on Wednesday (May 8).

According to reports from the North Korean state news agency KCNA, Kim Ki-nam, aged 94, passed away on Tuesday due to multiple organ failure. Supreme leader Kim Jong Un personally attended his funeral rites the same day, paying tribute to Kim Ki-nam's unwavering loyalty to the state until his last breath by placing flowers on his coffin.

Kim Ki-nam held a significant position in North Korea's government for decades, earning the title of one of the longest-serving government officials in the country's history. Joining the propaganda department in Pyongyang in 1966, he worked closely with successive North Korean leaders, including Kim Jong Un's father, Kim Jong Il. Notably, Kim Ki-nam also served as the state's spokesperson before his retirement in 2017.

The comparison to Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler's chief aide and Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, highlights Kim Ki-nam's influential role in shaping North Korean propaganda. Like Goebbels, Kim Ki-nam utilized various media channels to promote the state's agenda and control information flow within North Korea.

Joseph Goebbels was notorious for his hate speech and anti-Semitic activism, using propaganda to advance Nazi ideologies through newspapers, radio, and films. His legacy is tainted by his role in promoting Nazi propaganda during World War II, culminating in his suicide with his wife and children as the war came to an end.

Kim Ki-nam's passing marks the end of an era for North Korean propaganda, leaving behind a legacy intertwined with the complexities of totalitarian regimes and the power of propaganda in shaping public perception.