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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 SEOUL 001326 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR ECON KPAO KS US
SUBJECT: SEOUL - PRESS BULLETIN; August 19, 2009 
 
TOP HEADLINES 
------------- 
 
 
All 
Former President Kim Dae-jung Passes Away 
 
 
DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS 
--------------------- 
 
Former President Kim Dae-jung, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and 
lifetime advocate of human rights and democracy, died yesterday of 
complications from pneumonia. He was 85. (All) 
 
President Lee Myung-bak was quoted as saying shortly after the 
former president's death: "We lost a great political leader today. 
His accomplishments and aspirations to achieve democratization and 
inter-Korean reconciliation will long be remembered by the people." 
(All) 
 
The U.S. Embassy in Seoul, in a press release yesterday, called the 
late former president an "inspiring leader, a committed activist and 
a good friend," joining a wave of condolences after his death. 
(Financial News, Herald News, Newsis, YTN) 
 
Former President Kim's funeral is expected to be held either as a 
state funeral or a "people's funeral," a public funeral held in the 
name of the ROK people. The final decision will be made today at a 
Cabinet meeting. (All) 
 
According to a source in ruling circles, the ROKG is considering 
resuming direct humanitarian aid to North Korea. (Hankook) 
 
The ROK's first space rocket will be launched as planned today at 
the Naro Space Center, the country's first spaceport in Goheung, 
South Jeolla Province. (All) 
 
 
INTERNATIONAL NEWS 
------------------ 
 
President Barack Obama met with former President Bill Clinton at the 
White House on August 18. It was their first meeting since the 
former president went to North Korea to secure the release of two 
U.S. journalists. Former President Clinton apparently passed on a 
message from North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. (Chosun, JoongAng, 
Hankyoreh) 
 
Philip Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, was 
widely quoted as saying yesterday: "Clearly, these (the recent 
five-point agreement between Hyundai Group and North Korea to resume 
joint projects) are welcome steps in and of themselves as gestures 
that might open the door for renewed dialogue between North and 
South Korea.  These marginal steps, in and of themselves, are not 
enough. We want to see them take definitive steps, irreversible 
steps, toward denuclearization." (All) 
 
In a related development, the ROK and the U.S. will discuss the 
Hyundai-North Korea agreement when Philip Goldberg, the Coordinator 
for the Implementation of Security Council Resolution 1874, visits 
Seoul from August 23-24. (Dong-a, Seoul) 
 
 
MEDIA ANALYSIS 
-------------- 
 
Former President Kim Dae-jung Passes Away 
All ROK media gave above-the-fold front-page play to yesterday's 
passing of former President Kim Dae-jung, the Nobel Peace Prize 
laureate and lifetime advocate of human rights and democracy. 
According to media reports, Kim, the ROK's 15th president, died of 
complications from pneumonia. He was 85. 
 
SEOUL 00001326  002 OF 012 
 
 
 
President Lee Myung-bak was widely quoted as saying shortly after 
the former president's death: "We lost a great political leader 
today. His accomplishments and aspirations to achieve 
democratization and inter-Korean reconciliation will long be 
remembered by the people." 
 
President Barack Obama was also quoted as expressing his condolences 
by saying: "President Kim risked his life to build and lead a 
political movement that played a crucial role in establishing a 
dynamic democratic system in the Republic of Korea. His service to 
his country, his tireless efforts to promote peace on the Korean 
Peninsula, and his personal sacrifices on behalf of freedom are 
inspirational and should never be forgotten." 
 
All ROK media raised the possibility that North Korea may send a 
high-level condolence delegation to pay tribute to the late 
president.  Conservative Chosun Ilbo, in particular, speculated that 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il apparently feels respect for Kim 
Dae-jung, who was dedicated to inter-Korean reconciliation and 
national unification during his lifetime and visited Pyongyang in 
June 2000 for the first-ever inter-Korean summit.  Chosun also noted 
that all major inter-Korean economic cooperation projects, including 
package tours to Mt. Kumgang and the joint Kaesong Industrial 
Complex, were initiated during Kim's presidency. 
 
All newspapers carried special lengthy editorials mourning the death 
of former President Kim Dae-jung.   Conservative Dong-a Ilbo, in 
particular, wrote: "His contributions to ending military rule and 
advancing national democratization in concert with former President 
Kim Young-sam will forever be remembered by the people. ... His 
policy toward North Korea received mixed reviews.  He created a 
reconciliatory environment between the two Koreas through the 2000 
inter-Korean summit, promoted personnel and economic exchanges and 
cooperation, and led reunions of separated families. ... However, he 
s-e-c-r-e-t-l-y provided more than $450 million to Pyongyang in 
return for holding the summit, and failed to change North Korea the 
way he intended to through his 'Sunshine Policy' of engagement to 
the North.  By sticking to the (Sunshine) policy, he helped the 
communist regime develop nuclear weapons and missiles, causing 
internal division in the ROK. ... Creating glory and disgrace, and 
praise and criticism, Kim Dae-jung is now part of history.  His 
footsteps can hopefully serve as the groundwork for the country's 
democratic development, economic prosperity, and peaceful 
reunification." 
 
-N. Korea 
--------- 
Conservative Chosun Ilbo, right-of-center JoongAng Ilbo and 
left-leaning Hankyoreh Shinmun ran front-and inside-page reports 
from Washington that President Barack Obama met with former 
President Bill Clinton at the White House yesterday. It was their 
first meeting since the former president went to North Korea to 
secure the release of two U.S. journalists.  The newspapers reported 
that former President Clinton apparently passed on a message from 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. 
 
Philip Crowley, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, was 
widely quoted as saying yesterday: "Clearly, these (the recent 
five-point agreement between Hyundai Group and North Korea to resume 
joint projects) are welcome steps in and of themselves as gestures 
that might open the door for renewed dialogue between North and 
South Korea.  These marginal steps, in and of themselves, are not 
enough.  We want to see them take definitive steps, irreversible 
steps, toward denuclearization." 
 
Conservative Dong-a Ilbo and moderate Seoul Shinmun reported that 
the ROK and the U.S. will discuss the Hyundai-North Korea agreement 
during Phillip Goldberg's upcoming August 23-24 visit to Seoul. 
Goldberg is the Coordinator for the Implementation of Security 
Council Resolution 1874.  Dong-a quoted an ROKG official as saying: 
"At present, the agreement does not seem to be in great conflict 
with the UN resolution." 
 
 
SEOUL 00001326  003 OF 012 
 
 
 
OPINIONS/EDITORIALS 
------------------- 
 
REMEMBERING FORMER PRES. KIM DAE-JUNG 
(Dong-a Ilbo, August 19, 2009, page 31) 
 
Former President Kim Dae-jung died yesterday at age 85.  Though he 
endured a tough life in leading the democratic movement against 
authoritarian governments, he eventually succumbed to old age.  May 
he rest in peace. 
 
Few figures lived a life as dramatic and left as many legacies as 
Kim did in modern Korean history.  Born to a poor farmer, he was a 
six-term lawmaker before being elected the 15th president of the 
Republic of Korea, despite having just a high school diploma.  What 
is also significant is that he became president in an election that 
marked the first peaceful transfer of power to the opposition in the 
nation's history.  He also helped the economy overcome the 1998 
Asian financial crisis in a relatively short period of time.  The 
2000 inter-Korean summit was held for the first time under his 
presidency, after half a century of national division, and Kim 
became the first Korean to receive the Nobel (Peace) Prize. 
 
Kim was a politician with great energy in overcoming challenges with 
firm determination.  He was elected to the National Assembly on his 
fourth attempt.  As such, he was a man with persistence.  He 
thoroughly prepared for everything.  He always read books and 
studied, and wrote down what others said.  This is why he knew so 
much about everything.  He rarely made a mistake because he always 
practiced looking into the mirror before making an important speech. 
 
 
Kim lived a tough life until becoming president.  He was a great 
leader to people yearning for democracy, but an eyesore to the 
military governments led by Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan.  He 
was put under house arrest 55 times and imprisoned for six years. 
He was banned from political activity and spent time in exile in 
Japan and the United States.  While in Japan, he was kidnapped by a 
Korean spy agency and taken back to Korea.  Though he was sentenced 
to death for an alleged rebellion conspiracy, namely the 1980 
pro-democratic movement in Gwangju, he was rescued by the U.S. 
government.  His contributions to ending military rule and advancing 
national democratization in concert with former President Kim 
Young-sam will forever be remembered by the people. 
 
Kim Dae-jung, Kim Young-sam and Kim Jong-pil formed the "three Kims" 
that dominated Korean politics for decades.  Kim Dae-jung was a 
victim of deep-rooted regional division, but at the same time a 
beneficiary.  In the country's first direct presidential election in 
1987, he disappointed the people by failing to agree on a unified 
candidate.  Unfortunately, Korean politicians have acted more for 
their political interests and not their ideology or policy.  The 
"three Kims" era is over, but regional strife, politicians changing 
parties for their own interests, and an extreme political culture 
that denies representative democracy still remains.  In this regard, 
Kim Dae-jung gave politicians tasks to tackle. 
 
With progress in democratization, frequent ideological conflict in 
society is another serious issue.  Regrettably, Kim Dae-jung could 
have done better during the anti-U.S. beef protests last year, as 
well as during the rallies in the wake of former President Roh 
Moo-hyun's death this year.  As a former president, Kim Dae-jung 
could have won more respect if he took the lead in unifying the 
people rather than encouraging political divisions by calling 
incumbent President Lee Myung-bak, who was democratically elected, a 
"dictator." 
 
His policy toward North Korea received mixed reviews.  He created a 
reconciliatory environment between the two Koreas through the 2000 
inter-Korean summit, promoted personnel and economic exchanges and 
cooperation, and led reunions of separated families.  Though 
business cooperation at the Kaesong industrial complex and tours to 
Mt. Kumgang are being hampered by the North's provocations and 
 
SEOUL 00001326  004 OF 012 
 
 
stubbornness, they will be remembered as part of his legacy if they 
are resumed.  However, he s-e-c-r-e-t-l-y provided more than $450 
million to Pyongyang in return for holding the summit, and failed to 
change North Korea the way he intended to through his 'Sunshine 
Policy' of engagement to the North.  By sticking to the (Sunshine) 
policy, he helped the communist regime develop nuclear weapons and 
missiles, causing internal division in the ROK. 
 
Because of the persecutions he had to endure, Kim Dae-jung paid 
extra attention to human rights while president and while he was in 
office, improvements came.   Contrary to his reputation as a "human 
rights president," however, he failed to end illegal eavesdropping 
and almost ignored human rights abuses in the North.  History will 
clarify the controversy over whether he retaliated against the media 
that criticized him by ordering tax audits on the media. 
 
Creating glory and disgrace, and praise and criticism, Kim Dae-jung 
is now part of history.  His footsteps can hopefully serve as the 
groundwork for the country's democratic development, economic 
prosperity, and peaceful reunification.  May his funeral - a 
ceremony of saying good-bye amid the people's mourning - be 
conducted solemnly and sincerely. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
A GIANT OF OUR AGE LEAVES BEHIND A GREAT MARK 
(Hankyoreh Shinmun, August 19, 2009, page 35) 
 
Former President Kim Dae-jung is no longer with us.  Ever since he 
began his difficult battle with illness, he strengthened himself for 
when this day was to come. But this day came too soon.  Now even the 
most serious prayer that he might dust himself off, get out of his 
sickbed and remain with us as a light in a bewildering age has come 
to nothing.  The country and the Korean people still need him 
desperately, but he has left forever on a road from which he cannot 
return.  With two former presidents gone in the space of just a few 
months, there are no words to describe the grief suffered by those 
left behind. 
 
He was a giant who stood tall in Korea's modern history.  Throughout 
his life, he devoted himself unwaveringly to this nation's democracy 
and human rights, its peace and unification.  The modifiers placed 
next to his name may have changed from time to time, from democracy 
fighter to opposition party head to president, but the values and 
spirit he pursued remained the same.  Along the way, there were both 
successes and failures, and he himself went through some trial and 
error.  But he was the rare politician who walked one path without 
wavering, through countless twists and turns of history, through 
whirlpools, hardship and honor. 
 
He was a leader who knew how to go beyond the trends of the time and 
take a broad view of history.  He was also a leader who stood a step 
ahead of the time and constantly examined the future of the Korean 
people and the path ahead of them.  Since he was a dissident and an 
opposition party politician, he stoically bided his time while 
fine-tuning his policy conception,and, after he became president, 
worked to make it a reality.  Because of him, democracy in Korean 
society became more mature, and the horizons of human rights and 
welfare grew even broader.  It was only during his time as leader 
that inter-Korean hostility, frozen solid for half a century, 
finally began to thaw.  The scene of him and North Korean leader Kim 
Jong-il in Pyongyang in 2000, clasping hands and pledging a peaceful 
future for the Korean people, is an emotional moment that will 
forever remain in our minds.  It was the precious fruit of his 
consistent determination and conviction that the way for the Korean 
people to survive was not through confrontation but conciliation, 
not hostility but cooperation.  With this summit meeting, the ROK 
and North Korea began writing a new history for the peninsula. 
 
He devoted more profound attention and passion to the lowest reaches 
of society -- the people who have suffered unjustly and bitterly -- 
than anyone else.  That our society went on to develop laws and 
 
SEOUL 00001326  005 OF 012 
 
 
institutions to offer greater consideration toward our neglected 
neighbors also owes a lot to him.  His policy to respond to the 
demands of a changing society will go down in history as a precious 
asset to all of us, including the establishment of the Presidential 
Truth Commission on Suspicious Deaths, the National Human Rights 
Commission, the enactment of the Act on Compensation and Restoration 
of Honor of Persons Involved in the Pro-Democracy Movement, the 
National Minimum Livelihood Protection Law, and the establishment of 
the Ministry of Gender Equality. 
 
His burning passion did not cool for a moment, even as his life came 
to an end. Indeed, it burned even more brightly, like the last 
candle.  As this nation's democracy, to which he dedicated his 
entire life, was once again in jeopardy and inter-Korean relations 
were racing toward unprecedented crisis, he brought his aged and 
frail body once again before the public and made a sincere appeal. 
Let us bring back democracy, he said.  Let us save the working class 
economy and improve inter-Korean relations once again.  He urged 
awakening among the citizens, telling them that "a conscience that 
does not act is on the side of evil."  The topic of the last speech 
he prepared just before he passed away was the peaceful resolution 
of problems in inter-Korean relations.  In a speech he was invited 
to give for the European Union Chamber of Commerce, he called on 
United States President Barack Obama to "make the courageous 
determination to put an end to antagonistic relations with North 
Korea."  It was none other than the late former President Kim 
Dae-jung who fought most fiercely to bring back democracy and 
restore inter-Korean relations even as he battled the demon of 
illness. 
 
Of course, he was neither a perfect human being nor a flawless 
politician.  A number of dark shadows hang over his long political 
journey.  He was a victim of the chronic regionalism that afflicts 
Korean society, but at the same time he could not escape criticism 
that he was a factor in it as well.  Nor can he escape comments that 
he delayed advancement of the political culture with factional 
politics, boss politics and monarchical party management.  Late in 
his term as president, his ethical reputation suffered a blow due to 
improprieties involving his sons and associates.  While he was 
alive, he faced as much criticism as praise.  He was the target of 
both more centrist conservatives and hard-right forces, whose 
persistent attacks continued right up until his condition grew 
serious.  Bernard Krisher, former Tokyo correspondent for the U.S. 
current affairs weekly Newsweek, said that only when Kim died would 
the Korean people realize what a great debt they really owe to him. 
Now the true judgment of his life and accomplishments is left to 
history. 
 
He is gone now.  Gone forever, without getting to see democracy in 
full bloom and peace flowing like a river between the ROK and North 
Korea.  The task of realizing the dreams and hopes he could not is 
left now to others.  Before being taken to the hospital, he said, 
"This nation's democracy, the working class economy and inter-Korean 
relations are all in crisis.  Now I am old and have no strength. 
What can I do?"  It is now we who must answer his question. 
 
We once again lament the passing of former President Kim Dae-jung 
deep in our hearts and offer our earnest prayers for his happiness 
in the next world. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
FEATURES 
-------- 
 
U.S. SAYS FIVE-POINT AGREEMENT IS NOT ENOUGH 
(Dong-a Ilbo, August 19, 2009, page 14) 
 
By Correspondent Ha Tae-won 
 
According to an August 17 report by the Associated Press, the U.S. 
Department of State said it welcomed the five-point agreement that 
 
SEOUL 00001326  006 OF 012 
 
 
was reached between Hyundai Group and North Korea on the resumption 
of Mt. Kumgang tour, but added that Pyongyang needs to do more (to 
denuclearize).  During a regular briefing, Philip Crowley, Assistant 
Secretary of State for Public Affairs, said, "(The five-point 
agreement) are welcome steps in and of themselves as gestures that 
might open the door for renewed dialogue between North and South 
Korea."  He added, however, "These marginal steps, in and of 
themselves, are not enough.  We continue to reiterate what North 
Korea has to do." 
 
Crowley went on to say, "We want to see them take definitive steps, 
irreversible steps, towards denuclearization."  He emphasized that 
these (additional steps) would demonstrate North Korea's intention 
to take a different path from the one it is currently pursing. 
 
Rose Gottemoeller, Assistant Secretary of State for Verification, 
Compliance, and Implementation, in an August 17 address to 
servicemen held at a hotel in Williamsburg, Virginia, said that the 
U.S. will not tolerate a world where there is even one more 
nuclear-armed country.  She said that it will be a long road to a 
"nuclear free world" that was envisioned by President Obama in May, 
adding that the journey will be difficult but it is a journey that 
(the world) should take. 
 
In this regard, attention is being focused on what moves Philip 
Goldberg, Coordinator for the Implementation of Security Council 
Resolution 1874, makes during his upcoming August 23-24 visit to 
Seoul.  Goldberg, who leads (an interagency delegation) coordinating 
the implementation of UN sanctions, will likely indicate where the 
sanctions are headed in the future. 
 
A high-ranking ROKG official said that Goldberg will explain the 
involvement of other countries in enforcing the sanctions to the 
ROKG and discuss the ROKG's participation in efforts to implement 
UNSC Resolution 1874. 
 
In particular, the ROK and the U.S. will reportedly exchange views 
on the recent agreement between North Korea and Hyundai Group.  The 
ROKG official said, "There is a need to check if the five-point 
agreement violates the sanctions of the UNSC resolution," adding, 
"At present, the agreement does not appear to be in great conflict 
with the UN resolution."  This is because Resolution 1874 makes an 
exception of assistance for humanitarian and development purposes 
and does not regulate normal commercial activities at the private 
level. 
 
However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that a difference of 
opinions between the ROK and the U.S. over the Hyundai-North Korea 
agreement may emerge during Ambassador Goldberg's visit. 
Considering that the purpose of UNSC Resolution 1874 is to block the 
flow of cash to North Korea, the U.S. might view the Hyundai-North 
Korea agreement as having a negative impact on the implementation of 
UN sanctions. 
 
 
EX-PRES. KIM DAE-JUNG DIES AT AGE 85 
(Dong-a Ilbo, August 19, 2009, Front page: EXCERPTS) 
 
By Reporters Jeong Yong-gwan and Lee Jin-han 
 
Former President Kim Dae-jung, who played a leading role on the 
country's modern political stage, died yesterday. He was 85. 
 
He was hospitalized at Yonsei Severance Hospital in Seoul with 
pneumonia on July 13.  Kim was connected to an artificial respirator 
due to acute respiratory distress syndrome resulting from pneumonia 
and pulmonary thromboembolism, which caused his blood vessels to 
clot. 
 
He was pronounced dead at 1:43 p.m., yesterday. 
 
Hospital director Park Chang-il said, "First, he was admitted to the 
hospital due to pneumonia, but his heart stopped working due to 
multiple organ failure, and this impaired the functions of his 
 
SEOUL 00001326  007 OF 012 
 
 
kidneys, liver and lungs.  We did not perform CPR because there was 
no possibility of extending his life." 
 
The Public Administration and Security Ministry will conduct funeral 
procedures after consultations with Kim's bereaved family under the 
State and National Funeral Service Act. 
 
Incumbent President Lee Myung-bak expressed his condolences, saying, 
"We lost a great political leader.  His aspirations and 
accomplishments for the nation's democratization and inter-Korean 
reconciliation will long be remembered by the people.  I hope his 
lifelong determination will contribute to inter-Korean 
reconciliation and social integration." 
 
Both the ruling and opposition parties released statements 
expressing condolences over Kim's passing. 
 
The former president's life was a microcosm of Korea's checkered 
political history.  In the 1970s and 80s, he and fellow activist Kim 
Young-sam formed the Donggyo-dong and Sangdo-dong factions and 
became the country's two leading politicians. 
 
Kim Dae-jung also narrowly escaped death several times while 
fighting military dictatorships.  On Aug. 13, 1973, he was kidnapped 
by government agents in a Tokyo hotel but survived. 
 
After the 1980 coup d'tat, Kim Dae-jung was sentenced to death on 
charges of conspiring to conduct a rebellion, but was released from 
prison due to U.S. pressure.  He later went to live in exile in 
America. 
 
His ability to overcome mounting difficulties earned him comparisons 
to the honeysuckle, which represents unyielding determination. 
 
Kim Dae-jung, along with Kim Young-sam and Kim Jong-pil formed the 
"Three Kims" that dominated Korean politics for decades. 
 
While running for president for the fourth time in 1997, Kim 
Dae-jung cooperated with former adversary Kim Jong-pil, who had 
ordered Kim Dae-jung's death in the 1970s, to create a coalition 
that resulted in the country's first horizontal change of power. 
 
As president, Kim Dae-jung helped to overcome the currency crisis 
that hit Korea just before the 1997 presidential election. 
 
Relations between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil broke down due to 
the former's "sunshine policy" of engaging North Korea.  Kim 
Dae-jung went on to visit Pyongyang in June 2000 to hold the first 
inter-Korean summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. 
 
In 2000, Kim Dae-jung became the first Korean to win the Nobel Prize 
for his efforts toward inter-Korean reconciliation.  After the Roh 
Moo-hyun Government took over, however, reports surfaced that Kim 
Dae-jung gave a huge sum of money to Pyongyang in exchange for 
holding the summit. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
PYONGYANG MUM ON PLANS TO SEND DELEGATION 
(JoongAng Daily, August 19, 2009) 
 
By Reporters Ser Myo-ja and Yoo Jee-ho 
 
Former President Kim Dae-jung, who pursued the "Sunshine Policy" 
with North Korea in an effort to improve inter-Korean relations, 
died a day after Pyongyang made rare concessions to the ROK. 
 
On Monday, North Korea announced it would restart stalled tourism 
programs and reopen the border for expanded land passages for South 
Koreans.  And the North said it would do so in the spirit of the 
June 15 joint declaration, an accord reached during the first 
inter-Korean summit between Kim and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il 
 
SEOUL 00001326  008 OF 012 
 
 
in 2000.  Kim Dae-jung was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 
his efforts.  Increased inter-Korean exchanges are part of Kim's 
legacy.  During his administration from 1998 to 2003, there were 
eight ministerial-level and special envoy-level talks between the 
Koreas, and more than 5,400 separated family members were reunited 
on five different occasions. 
 
And as tensions mounted and relations on the peninsula deteriorated 
this year, Kim became a vocal critic of the Lee Myung-bak 
Administration and its policy of tying aid to the North to 
Pyongyang's abandonment of nuclear ambitions.  Pyongyang didn't have 
an immediate reaction to Kim's passing yesterday, but some experts 
speculated that the North could send a delegation of government 
officials to Seoul with condolences.  North Korea observers noted 
that Kim Jong-il had shown great respect to Kim. 
 
"Morals exist in a communist society, and we want to show Korea's 
excellence in courtesy and civility to the world," Kim Jong-il said 
during the summit, offering Kim the seat of honor during their 
meeting. 
 
If the North sends a delegation, it will mark a rare contact between 
the two Koreas that have suffered chilled relations since the Lee 
Administration began last year.  Some are optimistic that the 
occasion could help thaw the relationship.  Others, however, warn 
against hasty optimism, noting that the North only expressed its 
condolences for former President Roh Moo-hyun's death in May, 
instead of sending a delegation.  "Since Kim Jong-il had some health 
problems last year, the North had tended to be reluctant to engage 
aggressively with the ROK," an ROK official said. 
 
Lee Administration sources and some researchers said the North would 
instead express its condolences through state-run media or send 
flowers from Kim Jong-il to comfort the family.  A government 
official said the Monday offer by North Korea to restart joint 
projects represented only a minor step and has done little to mend 
inter-Korean relations.  Park Han-sik, a North Korea expert at the 
University of Georgia, said North Korea was unlikely to extend its 
hand to the ROK first. 
 
"When Roh died, the North contemplated sending a delegation, but 
made the decision not to do so," said Park, who has recently visited 
North Korea and is known to maintain regular contacts with 
Pyongyang.  "It has become the sentiment in the North Korean 
government that it will not engage first in any action with the ROK 
government." 
 
Kim's death could also shed new light on his Sunshine Policy.  This 
year, it has come under fire from conservatives who charged that 
Kim's open-arms approach gave Pyongyang the economic means to 
conduct nuclear and missile tests in defiance of the international 
community. 
 
But in light of Kim's passing and North Korea's conciliatory offers, 
Kim's engagement approach may be remembered more fondly, experts 
said, and that could potentially create a turning point for 
inter-Korean exchanges. 
 
 
SEOUL 'NOT AGAINST' N. KOREAN VISIT OVER KIM DAE-JUNG'S DEATH 
(Chosun Ilbo, August 19, 2009, page 5: EXCERPTS) 
 
By Reporter Shin Eun-jin 
 
The presidential office on Tuesday said it "would not oppose" it if 
North Korea wants to send a delegation expressing the regime's 
condolences on the death of former ROK president Kim Dae-jung.  "If 
North Korea sends a condolence delegation, there will be no reason 
to oppose it," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said. 
 
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il apparently feels respect for Kim 
Dae-jung, who was dedicated to inter-Korean reconciliation and 
national unification during his lifetime and visited Pyongyang in 
June 2000 for the first-ever inter-Korean summit. 
 
SEOUL 00001326  009 OF 012 
 
 
 
All major inter-Korean economic cooperation projects, including 
package tours to Mt. Kumgang and the joint Kaesong Industrial 
Complex, which are major income sources for the North, were 
initiated during Kim Dae-jung's presidency. 
 
Following signs of a thaw in relations after Hyundai Group 
chairwoman Hyun Jeong-eun's visit to the North, the North is 
expected to send a senior official to Seoul to pay his respects to 
the late Kim Dae-jung. 
 
When Kim Dae-jung was in the hospital with pneumonia in 2005, Kim 
Jong-il sent Kim Ki-nam, the vice chairman of the Committee for the 
Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland, who was in Seoul to attend 
a National Liberation Day event on Aug. 15, to the hospital to 
inquire after him. 
 
Any such visit could be led by Kim Yang-kon, the director of the 
United Front Department of the Workers' Party and chairman of the 
Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, or Ri Jong-hyok, deputy director of 
the department and vice chairman of the committee. 
 
Kim Yang-kon, who is in charge of external affairs, was on hand 
during Hyun's meeting with Kim Jong-il on Sunday. Ri, who has been a 
point man in business with the ROK, attended a memorial service at 
Mt. Kumgang for the late Hyundai Group chairman Chung Mong-hun, 
Hyun's husband. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
KIM DAE-JUNG: A LIFE OF TRIALS AND STEELY DETERMINATION 
(Chosun Ilbo, August 19, 2009, page 16: EXCERPTS) 
 
By Reporter Kim Min-cheol 
 
The life of former President Kim Dae-jung was too full to describe 
in a few words. His tumultuous 85 years are so intertwined with 
Korea's modern history that it is impossible to talk about the 
nation's hardship and glory without mentioning Kim's name. 
 
 - Trials and Tribulations 
 
Kim was given the nickname "honeysuckle," and it is difficult to 
find a better way to sum up Kim's life than the flower, which 
endures the harshest of winters and blossoms in early summer. 
 
Born in January 1924 in South Jeolla Province, Kim was the second 
son of a poor farmer. He graduated from Mokpo Commercial High School 
(Jeonnam Jeil High School today) and married his first wife Cha 
Yong-ae in the port city.  It was in Mokpo that he was elected twice 
as a lawmaker, following his victory in the general election in 
¶1963. 
 
Until he rose to the presidency, Kim's political career was 
characterized by one tribulation after another. His six years in 
prison and 10 years under house arrest are a testament to his 
endurance.  Kim often said he had four brushes with death.  In 
September 1950, he was captured by communist soldiers and escaped 
from Mokpo prison just before he was about to face a firing squad. 
In 1971, he suffered a mysterious and near-fatal car accident as he 
was campaigning in support of a New Democratic Party candidate 
running for a seat in the eighth National Assembly. 
 
When in October 1972, President Park Chung-hee declared new measures 
to reinforce his authoritarian rule, Kim was unable to return from 
Japan and remained there in political exile.  He rallied anti-Park 
forces in Japan, prompting Park to have him kidnapped by the Korean 
Central Intelligence Agency in downtown Tokyo.  KCIA agents 
apparently intended to drown him in the middle of the East Sea but 
were forced to abort the mission under pressure from the U.S. 
government. 
 
 
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Instead, Kim was brought back to Korea and put under house arrest at 
his home in Seoul. There, he began his pro-democracy movement.  In 
1976, he was arrested on charges of leading the proclamation of an 
anti-government manifesto and served a two-year prison term. He was 
released in 1978 but immediately put under house arrest again. 
 
Kim enjoyed a brief "spring of democracy" following the 
assassination of Park in 1979, but the new military government that 
rose to power in 1980 accused him of sedition and conspiracy and in 
January of 1981, the Supreme Court sentenced him to death. However, 
international efforts to save him and widespread coverage of his 
plight in the international press forced the government to commute 
the sentence to life in prison and then to 20 years imprisonment. 
He spent two years and seven months in jail. 
 
In December 1982, Kim was exiled from Korea for the second time. 
This time, he headed to the U.S.  He suddenly returned to Korea in 
February 1985, just ahead of the general election, but was placed 
under house arrest again.  He was finally able to resume political 
activities following the June 10 pro-democracy demonstrations that 
swept the country in 1987. 
 
- Failure and Comeback 
 
Kim is seen as a successful politician not just because be became 
president, but because he had to endure countless defeats and 
setbacks, as well as the painful process of recovery to reach that 
point.  Even in his darkest hour, his political will never wavered. 
 
 
His bid for the presidency in 1971 was as an important opportunity 
to consolidate his status at the center of Korea's political 
establishment for the next 30 years.  He ran for president four 
times since then and was finally elected as Korea's 15th president 
in December 1997.  It was the first ever peaceful transfer of power 
for the Republic of Korea since its establishment. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
KIM DAE-JUNG: CROWNING ACHIEVEMENTS AND LATER LIFE 
(Chosun Ilbo, August 19, 2009, page 17: EXCERPTS) 
 
By Reporter Kim Min-cheol 
 
Kim spent much of his life studying ways to bring the ROK and North 
Korea closer together.  It is impossible to talk about him without 
mentioning his "Sunshine Policy" of rapprochement with the North. 
He started the policy immediately after taking office and by 2000, 
brought about the first summit between the two sides since the 
Korean Peninsula was divided.  In recognition of that achievement, 
he became the first Korean to win the Nobel Peace Prize. 
 
That is why Kim is considered to have set the framework for 
inter-Korean reconciliation.  But critics accuse Kim of being 
unprincipled in engaging the North and aiding its nuclear weapons 
program with an under-the-table payment of $500 million to arranging 
the summit. 
 
- Presidency 
 
Kim made the transition to Cheong Wa Dae abruptly and without 
preparation because Korea was in the midst of an economic crisis, 
taking the helm almost the day after his election win by directing 
measures to steer the nation out of the crisis.  He pushed ahead 
with so-called "Big Deal" business swaps between the country's major 
conglomerates, closures of nonviable financial institutions and 
other painful restructuring measures.  As a result, Korea was able 
to repay all of the loans it received from the International 
Monetary Fund in August 2001, earlier than expected. 
 
Kim paid as much attention to inter-Korean relations as to the 
economic crisis.  His attentiveness to the issue dates as far back 
 
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as 1971, when he first ran for president.  His main focus at that 
time was on resolving tensions on the Korean Peninsula by pledging a 
peace guarantee supported by the United States, Japan, the Soviet 
Union and China.  He also pitched a three-stage unification plan 
that began with a confederation of North and South Korea, 
transitioning to a federal system and eventual unification.  In the 
confederation, a summit would serve as the highest decision-making 
body.  The federal system would be created once peace takes root on 
the Korean Peninsula, followed by unification.  Because of such 
political beliefs, Kim was constantly accused of being a communist 
sympathizer and dangerous progressive. 
 
In November 1998, the first year of Kim's presidency, ROK tourists 
were granted unprecedented access to North Korea's scenic Mt. 
Kumgang resort.  During his presidency, there were several incidents 
that could have dampened inter-Korean relations.  A North Korean 
submarine intruded into ROK waters in the East Sea, a tourist was 
detained in the North Korean resort at Mt. Kumgang, and a bloody 
naval skirmish occurred along the West Sea border.  But Kim did not 
abandon the Sunshine Policy. 
 
He finally held a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 
June 2000.  It was the first time that the leaders of the two Koreas 
had met in half a century of division.  During his historic visit to 
North Korea between June 13 to 15, the two Kims signed the June 15 
Declaration.  In recognition of this achievement, Kim, in December 
of that year, became the first Korean to receive the Nobel Peace 
Prize.  Following the summit, Kim brought about tearful reunions of 
families who had been separated by the Korean War, and launched a 
cooperative economic project, the Kaesong Industrial Complex. 
 
Only after Kim's presidential term ended was it revealed that 
Hyundai Group had paid North Korea $500 million in the process of 
arranging the summit, raising suspicions that the various kinds of 
financial support to the North were used to fuel its nuclear weapons 
program.  This caused many to reassess the merits of the Sunshine 
Policy. 
 
Despite Kim's rapprochement policies, North Korea conducted two 
nuclear tests -- one in 2006 and another in 2009 -- damaging the 
legacy of the Sunshine Policy and unification plan.  The final word 
on his policies remains to be spoken. 
 
Corruption scandals involving his three sons as well as confidants, 
including Kwon Roh-kap, which began emerging in early 2002, tainted 
the final months of Kim's presidency.  It was during this period 
that his health deteriorated and he required dialysis. 
 
Following Korea's first-ever peaceful transition of power, Kim's 
party was able to maintain its lead since Kim was succeeded by Roh 
Moo-hyun in February 2003. 
 
- Life after the Presidency 
 
After his presidential term ended, Kim continued to serve as a 
messenger of peace.  He traveled to Europe, China, Malaysia and 
other countries around the world to deliver his message in 
interviews with the international press.  He remained largely silent 
on political issues during the Roh presidency but resumed his 
political activities following the inauguration of the Lee Myung-bak 
Administration in 2008.  In numerous interviews and lectures, Kim 
strongly criticized the Lee Administration's hard-line stance toward 
North Korea.  His aides say his health got worse after the suicide 
of former President Roh, which was a great shock to the Nobel 
laureate. 
 
Throughout his life, Kim was seen as a staunch fighter for 
democracy, a leader of people and messenger of reconciliation.  But 
he was also labeled as being too generous to North Korea and 
criticized for favoring people from his stronghold in South Jeolla 
Province by appointing key officials from the region to his 
government.  Now, history will be the judge of Kim's legacy. 
 
(This is a translation provided by the newspaper, and it is 
 
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identical to the Korean version.) 
 
 
TOKOLA