Kim Dae-jung
CountrySouth Korea
Year Assumed Office1998
OfficePresident
AffiliationMillennium Democratic
About Kim Dae-jung
The South Korean President from 1998 to 2003 and a pro democracy activist. Kim survived assassination attempts, a death sentence, and years of exile under military rule. As President, he pursued the Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea, meeting Kim Jong-il in a historic 2000 summit. Kim received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his democracy and human rights work and reconciliation with North Korea. He navigated the Asian financial crisis, restructuring the Korean economy. His Sunshine Policy mixed reviews, but his commitment to democracy was unquestioned.