Kim Dae-jung quotes

Kim Dae-jung was a South Korean politician and former President, known for his pro-democracy activism and the "Sunshine Policy" towards North Korea. His efforts helped foster peaceful relations on the Korean Peninsula and promoted human rights. He became the first Korean to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his contributions to democracy and reconciliation. Here are 16 of his quotes:

If America would withdraw from South Korea, there could be a power struggle between such as China and Japan.

Kim Dae-jung

I think a major cause of present Asian economic difficulties that mainly come from, you know, lack of market economy.

Kim Dae-jung

Unification is not our present goal. That is a future program.

Kim Dae-jung

There is some sign that North Korea is changing recently. There is ongoing successful negotiation to have a military talk to Pyongyang, which has been stopped for seven years.

Kim Dae-jung

Unification is one thing, and stability in Northeast Asia is another thing.

Kim Dae-jung

So in Asia I want to make - I want to succeed to make a model of what success, practicing democracy, and market economy. Then that will give a good influence over Asian countries.

Kim Dae-jung

To realize peace on the Korean peninsula, and to develop exchange, cooperation between both Koreas, they are the, you know, immediate target of our government.

Kim Dae-jung

And also, we are providing, you know, a nuclear power plant in the north, two light water systems, so some 4 or 5 billion dollars we are providing to meet with North Korean requests on the condition North Korea will not produce a nuclear weapon.

Kim Dae-jung

You know, North Korea situation is far worse than East Germany, and South Korea is weaker than West Germany.

Kim Dae-jung

But such IMF pressure is very much helpful for me to push such a, you know, reform. So in this sense I think IMF is very much helpful for alien society.

Kim Dae-jung

So such an American troops presence in Korea in the South and Japan, total some 100,000 should stay there forever, even after unification of Korean peninsula.

Kim Dae-jung

So South Korean ability is very much limited to handle North Korean, you know, difficulties. So we don't want to see an immediate collapse of the North Korea regime.

Kim Dae-jung

So if North Korea continues present isolation, then with such economic difficulties the North Korean government must meet a very serious situation in the future.

Kim Dae-jung

So now we are pushing economic reform, bank reform and enterprise reform. So we can finish that reform this year, in September or October. Then our economy may be much more, you know, normalized.

Kim Dae-jung