Kim Dae Jung or Kim Dae-jung, born in 1925, president of South Korea (1998-2003), the first opposition politician to win the presidency in the country. Kim was awarded the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize for his policy of cultural, political, and economic reconciliation with Communist North Korea, and he led South Korea to a successful economic recovery after an Asian financial crisis in 1997.

Kim was born to farmers in the Jeolla region of southwestern Korea when the country was under Japanese colonial rule. At an early age Kim moved with his family to the nearby port city of Mokpo, where he completed high school in 1943. Kim then worked at a local shipping company, and his job qualified him for an exemption from conscription into the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II (1939-1945). At the end of the war, Korea was liberated from Japanese rule and, under an arrangement between the United States and the Soviet Union, divided into North Korea and South Korea. In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea, and the ensuing Korean War devastated both countries. In 1953 the fighting ended with an armistice agreement, but without a peace treaty the two countries technically remained at war, and the Korea Peninsula remained divided.

After the Korean War, Kim became increasingly active in South Korea’s pro-democracy movement that arose in response to the government’s suppression of political opposition. He soon established a reputation as a gifted speaker. In 1961 Kim won election to the National Assembly, South Korea’s lawmaking body, and he was reelected in 1963, 1967, and 1971. In 1970 Kim earned a master’s degree in economics from Kyunghee University in Seoul. He rose to national prominence in 1971 when he nearly defeated the incumbent, Park Chung Hee, in presidential elections that year. Shortly after the elections, Kim was nearly killed in a traffic accident that was reportedly part of a government conspiracy to murder him.

Park’s regime became increasingly dictatorial. He restricted civil liberties and removed political opponents. Park’s government convicted Kim of obscure charges, and as a result Kim spent several years in prison, where he was tortured, or under house arrest. Park was assassinated in 1979, but another dictatorial leader, General Chun Doo Hwan, gained control of the presidency the following year. Chun’s regime was equally suspicious of opposition leaders, and in 1980 Kim was arrested and sentenced to death for allegedly instigating a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju.

The United States appealed for Kim’s release, and in 1982 the South Korean government permitted him to travel to the United States for what was described as “medical treatment,” effectively exiling Kim from South Korea. While in exile, Kim was a visiting fellow at Harvard University in Massachusetts in 1983 and 1984. He returned to South Korea in 1985 and for several months remained under house surveillance. Despite persistent persecution and harassment, Kim continued to challenge the political leadership, building a strong base of support among students, trade unions, and the people of Jeolla. In the 1988 and 1992 elections Kim won a seat in the National Assembly, and he made unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 1987 and 1992.

Kim tried for the presidency again in 1997, this time narrowly defeating his opponents in the December elections. At the time of the elections, the economy of South Korea was collapsing in the midst of a regional economic crisis that had erupted in Southeast Asia earlier that year. In November, South Korea had agreed to implement stringent economic reforms in order to receive an emergency aid package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Kim’s government vigorously pursued economic restructuring, and Kim emerged as a champion of deregulation, privatization, and foreign investment in South Korea. He led the country through short-term hardships associated with the reforms, including rising inflation and unemployment. In 1999 the country’s economy showed strong signs of recovery, and economic growth continued into the early 2000s as the government continued to implement reforms.

In foreign relations, meanwhile, Kim encouraged dialogue with North Korea and offered unconditional economic and humanitarian aid in the hope of improving political relations. As a result of his so-called Sunshine Policy, communication and trade between the two countries increased. In June 2000 Kim and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il met in P’yŏngyang, the North Korean capital, in the first face-to-face meeting between the leaders of North and South Korea since 1945. They agreed in principle to promote reconciliation and economic cooperation between the two countries. The landmark event was seen as a preliminary step toward the goal of eventually reunifying the Korea Peninsula. In recognition of his efforts to bring about reconciliation with North Korea, Kim was awarded the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize. Although Kim was constitutionally barred from seeking reelection, the candidate of the Millennium Democratic Party, Roh Moo Hyun, won the December 2002 election after staking his campaign on the continuation of Kim’s policy of engagement with North Korea.