Kim Dae-jung

8th President of the Republic of Korea (1924–2009)

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Lived 1924–2009, aged 85South Korea

South Korea PoliticiansPolitician

Wikipedia
83 languages
Cross-language footprint
Era
1924–2009
Aged 85
Awards
12
recognised works

Summary

Updated 2026-09-06

Five near-death experiences, six years in prison, a death sentence from his own government — and then he won the presidency at 74. Kim Dae-jung spent decades as the opposition figure South Korea's military dictators couldn't quite kill, and took the Nobel for opening a door to the North.

Biography

About

Kim Dae-jung left business for politics after the Korean War and joined the Democratic Party's reform wing. Through the 1960s to the 1980s he led the democratization movement against successive military regimes, surviving assassination attempts, a rigged car accident, imprisonment, house arrest, exile, and a death sentence. He lost presidential bids in 1971, 1987, and 1992 before finally winning in 1997 through an opposition alliance — the first time a non-ruling party candidate took the Blue House. He inherited the wreckage of the 1997 Asian financial crisis and steered South Korea through pr…

Voice

In their own words

Sourced, dated quotes from Kim Dae-jung

Kim Dae-jung

said17 Aug 2009

Eventually, North Korea will come out for dialogue.

— "South Korea's Kim Dae-jung believed North would disarm" in Reuters (17 August 2009)

Kim Dae-jung

said8 Nov 1999

So when the U.N. made a resolution and asked us to send troops to East Timor, we took this as a responsibility that we must take, and also this was to repay them for their favors.

— "Interview with President Kim Dae-jung" in Washington Times (8 November 1999)

Kim Dae-jung

said8 Nov 1999