Kim Dae Jung (kĭm dā j

ng), 1924–, president (1998–2003) of South Korea. A native of South Jeolla prov. and a long-time campaigner for increased democracy and writer on international issues, Kim first ran for president in 1971. From the mid-1970s through the mid-1980s he spent much time either in prison or in exile in the United States. After returning to Korea, he again ran unsuccessfully for president in 1987 and 1992. In the midst of a financial crisis in 1997, he finally won the presidency, succeeding Kim Young Sam Kim Young Sam, 1927–, South Korean political leader, b. Gyeongsang prov. He was first elected to the National Assembly in 1954 and served nine terms. A long-time political dissident and opponent of military rule, he was banned from politics from 1980 to 1985
..... Click the link for more information. . Kim has sought improved relations with North Korea and has called for an easing of U.S. policy toward it, and in 2000 he traveled to the North for a historic summit with Kim Jong Il (see under Kim Il Sung Kim Jong Il (kĭm jông ĭl), 1942–, was groomed as his successor.
..... Click the link for more information. ). For his efforts to promote democracy and human rights, as well as open ties with North Korea, Kim was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (2000). The failure of the North to honor its pledges, a slowing economy, and a series of corruption scandals, including ones involving his sons, subsequently hurt Kim politically. His reputation was further damaged when it was revealed in Feb., 2003, that his summit with Kim Jong Il might have been the result in part of a payment of $186 million to the North.

Kim Dae Jung

(born Jan. 6, 1924, Hayi-do, Korea) South Korean politician and the first opposition leader to become president. He first entered politics in 1954, opposing the policies of Syngman Rhee, but did not win a seat in government until 1961. After being arrested several times in the 1970s, Kim was sentenced to death on charges of sedition and conspiracy; that sentence was commuted to 20 years in prison. In 1985, after a brief exile in the U.S., he resumed his role as a leader of the political opposition. In 1997 he was elected president of South Korea, serving from 1998 to 2003. In 2000 he received the Nobel Prize for Peace.