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 There’s no doubt former President Kim Dae-jung
was a great leader. He worked hard all his life for Koreans. He also
wanted to create peace between the
North and South. Sadly, due to old age and health
problems, he passed away on August 18, 2009. Let’s take a moment to
learn about his legacy.
Kim was born in Jeolla province in 1924. His parents were farmers.
And he was raised in a very poor family.
However, he had a big dream. He studied very hard, and graduated at
the top of his class in high school. Soon after, he worked as a clerk for a shipping company. By 1954,
he became very wealthy.
 In 1954,
he decided to become a politician. Kim promoted democracy. However, other
politicians in power didn’t like Kim’s ideas. For nearly 30 years
Kim had to fight hard. Once he was even kidnapped by the special
police. And another time, he was sentenced to death for his
ideas. Kim wasn’t afraid to speak up. If something was wrong, he did
everything to fix it. Nothing could stop
him from trying to make Korea a better place.
His dreams came true in 1998. Many Koreans supported him. He was the
first president from the Jeolla region. This was a region that was
neglected and less developed.
People believed Kim would understand the people’s pain and suffering. Kim wanted to
have peace with North Korea. He launched the first summit between the North
and South. In 2000, he received the Nobel Prize
for his peace work. He successfully completed his presidency in 2003. At the
age of 85 Kim has left us. His legacy and love for Korea will always
be remembered. |
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