On Tuesday, August 18, one of Korea’s most-celebrated former presidents, Kim Dae-Jung, or DJ as he was known in the media, passed away from complications with pneumonia. He was 85.
Kim Dae-jung had a career of firsts. In 1998, he became the first opposition party candidate to be elected as president in about 50 years of modern history of South Korea. He was the first Korean to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. He helped guide South Korea through the IMF financial crisis.
But he was most known for his involvement in the democracy movement in Korea before his presidency, during the military dictatorship. He was once kidnapped and sentenced to death for his belief in democracy, then later pardoned. As a sign of forgiveness, he later went on to pardon the former president who condemned him to die, when he received his own death sentence.
Kim was also known for his desire to create a better relationship between North and South Korea through his “Sunshine Policy“, for which he won his Nobel Peace Prize in 2001, after he held the first-ever summit with North Korea.
Because of these efforts throughout Kim’s life, even NK leader Kim Jong-il has sent his condolences to Kim Dae-jung’s family and intends to send a delegation to the South to pay respects to the late former president, along with a funeral wreath.
“Though he passed away to our regret, the feats he performed to achieve national reconciliation and realize the desire for reunification will remain long with the nation,” Kim Jong-Il was quoted by media as saying.
The current Lee Myung-bak administration has decided to hold a state funeral for the former head-of-state, an uncommon move since a president has never had a state funeral in South Korea. The funeral will be held on Sunday at 2 pm after a six-day mourning period.
The late president’s body is currently lying in state in the National Assembly where a giant altar has been built for mourners to pay their respects.
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