Who was Kim Dae-jung?
Kim Dae-jung came into the world in 1924 on a small island in Korea's south-west, and Kim Dae-jung started his career as a critic of Syngman Rhee. He later became the chief rival of the military ruler Park Chung Hee, and in the 1971 election he took over 46 per cent against him. Under the generals who followed, agents kidnapped him, courts condemned him to death, and he spent years in jail and abroad. He won the presidency in December 1997 and took office in 1998, the first time modern South Korea saw power pass to the opposition through an election. In 2000 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He died in 2009.
Political views
- Rejected the idea that democracy was a Western import, arguing that Asian traditions had long taught that rulers should serve the people.Source: nobelprize.org
- Fought Park Chung Hee's 1969 attempt at a third term and the Yushin constitution of 1972, which let the president rule for life.Source: nobelprize.org
- Treated democracy and the market economy as twin projects, adding 'productive welfare', and made them his government's central task.Source: nobelprize.org
- Became president in the 1997 financial crisis and began restructuring that pulled the economy back from collapse.Source: nobelprize.org
- Called his approach to North Korea the sunshine policy. It ruled out both unification under communism and absorbing the North, and it brought about the 2000 summit between the two Korean leaders.Source: nobelprize.org
- Said American troops were vital to Korea's security, and would remain so even once the peninsula was united.Source: nobelprize.org
- Pressed US President George Bush to stay at the table with North Korea, saying talks served world peace.Source: latimes.com
Legacy
Supporters see Kim as one of the great democrats of Asia. In their view he helped bring military rule to an end, led the recovery from the 1997 crash and began a thaw with the North. Conservatives mocked his sunshine policy, calling it a 'pay-back policy'. After the North tested nuclear devices in 2006 and again in 2009, plenty of South Koreans decided that engagement had not worked. His standing also suffered when it emerged that aides had quietly arranged a $500 million transfer to the North just before the 2000 summit, and critics said the meeting was bought. His youngest son was arrested too, for taking bribes.
In their own words
“Without democracy the market economy cannot blossom, and without market economics, economic competitiveness and growth cannot be achieved.”