Kim Dae Jung was born in South Korea in 1925. He began his political career in 1954 and was elected to the National Assembly in 1961, but the assembly was dissolved just three days later due to the military coup led by Park Chung Hee. Two years later, Kim Dae-Jung was elected to the National Assembly for the second time and began to become more and more prominent in his party. In 1965, he became spokesman for the Democratic Party and the following year, he became chairman of the Policy Planning Committee, which sets party policy guidelines. In 1971, he became the presidential candidate of the New Democratic Party, running against the all-powerful incumbent Park Chung Hee. Despite illegal election manipulation by the ruling party, Kim Dae Jung was awarded 46 percent of the votes cast. In the following years, Park Chung Hee's politics became more radical; he imposed martial law, banned all political activities and reformed the constitution so that he could serve as president for life. Kim Dae Jung's energetic appearance as leader of the democratic opposition and his resistance to the regime repeatedly led to his imprisonment, and he was repeatedly the victim of politically motivated assassinations. Despite everything, he managed to trigger a wave of demonstrations for a democratic system in Korea, including with the Independence Day Declaration for Democratization. After Park Chung Hee was assassinated in 1979, the country was marked by months of political unrest. Kim Dae Jung was imprisoned again and sentenced to death in 1980. Two years later, his prison sentence was suspended and he was allowed to travel to the USA. In 1985, he returned from exile, strengthening the pro-democracy movement. In 1987, all charges against Kim Dae Jung were dropped. After the democratization of South Korea, he was elected president in 1997, marking the first change of ruling party in modern Korean history.
Kim Dae Jungs attempt to lead a democratic opposition against the regime led to his repeated imprisonment. He was also the victim of many politically motivated attacks. Despite everything he was able to create the Independence Day Declaration for Democratization. The declaration of independence and democracy led to a wave of pro-democratic demonstrations in Korea. After the assassination of Park Chung Lee in 1979 the country was plagued with political unrest for months. During this time period Kim Dae Jung was repeatedly imprisoned and in 1980 he was sentenced to death. Two years later his sentence was repealed and he was allowed to travel to the US. In 1985 he returned from exile and took up the pro-democratic movement with renewed vigor. In 1987 all charges against Kim Dae Jung were dropped. After the democratization of South Korea he was elected president. His election was the first power change in the modern history of Korea.
President Kim Dae Jungs vision for the Korean people was to improve the relationship of South Korea with North Korea. He and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Il signed an agreement in 2000 that should lead to a better future for all Koreans. In 2003 Kim Dae Jung resigned as president and retired from political life. He died in 2009 in Seoul. Kim Dae Jung received the Bruno Kreisky Prize in 1981 for his work leading the democratic movement in South Korea. He brought justice, democracy, and a respect for human rights to Korea. For his politics of equalization, and his new reconciliation with North Korea he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2000.
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