Kim Yong-nam, North Korea's former titular head of state and chairman of the rubber-stamp Supreme People's Assembly, has died at the age of 97.

The state-run Korean Central News Agency(KCNA) reported on Tuesday that Kim had died the previous day from multiple organ failure due to cancer-linked poisoning.

The news agency referred to the former ceremonial head of state as a "revolutionary" who had made outstanding contributions to the history of the regime and to the strength and development of its ruling party.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited Pyongyang's Seojang Hall with senior officials early Tuesday, where the body of the former Assembly chair lies in state.

The Assembly's standing committee and the Cabinet decided to hold a state funeral.

Kim Yong-nam has played a key role in the North's diplomacy for decades, under the regimes of founder Kim Il-sung, late leader Kim Jong-il and current leader Kim Jong-un.

In 2018, he led a delegation to South Korea for a meeting with then-President Moon Jae-in during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, which also included Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the regime leader.

South Korean Unification Minister Chung Dong-young issued governmental condolences, saying Kim Yong-nam had contributed to the development of inter-Korean ties.