Title: Former President of
South Korea (
deceased on 23 May 2009)
Date of Birth: 1946-08-06
Place of Birth: Gimhae, Gyeongsang-namdo
Nationality: Korea, Republic of
Spouse: Name: Kwon Yang-suk
Children: Name: A son (Geon-ho) and a daughter (Jeong-yon)
Education: 1959 Graduated from Daechang Primary School 1963 Graduated from Jinyoung Middle School 1966 Graduated from Busan Commercial High School 1975 Passed the National Bar Examination
Professional Career: 1968 Army draftee service 1971 Honorable discharge from military service 1975 Passed the National Bar Examination 1977 Served as judge at the Daejeon District Court 1978 Practicing attorney 1981 Began career as a human rights lawyer after defending a student involved in the "Burim Incident" in Busan 1984 Served as director of the Research Center for Environmental Pollution 1985 Served as executive director of the Busan Citizens Committee for Democracy 1987 Served as chairman and director of the Busan Headquarters of Citizens' Movement for a Democratic Constitution (Also became one of the leaders of the 1987 June Democratization Struggles); Arrested in connection with the illegal strikes of the Daewoo Shipping Workers Union and his attorney license was suspended 1988 Elected to the 13th National Assembly from Busan's Eastern District 1989 Served as member of the "Special Committee Investigating Political Corruptions during the Fifth Republic" Served as member of the Labor Committee of the National Assembly 1990 Opposed the three-party merger between the ruling and two opposition parties; formed a splinter Democratic Party and served as director of planning and coordination of the newly-created party; Resigned National Assembly seat along with a group of sympathetic colleagues in protest against the ruling party's ramming of a broadcasting bill 1991 Led the campaign to unite the opposition forces (served as the leading negotiator of the talks to unite the opposition forces) 1992 Ran for the National Assembly seat in the Eastern District of Busan (unsuccessful) Led the election campaign for presidential candidate Kim Dae-jung 1993 Became the youngest member of the supreme council of the United Democratic Party 1995 Ran for mayor of Busan (unsuccessful) 1996 Ran for the National Assembly Seat in the Jongno District in Seoul (unsuccessful) 1997 Led the election campaign for Kim Dae-jung, presidential candidate of the National Congress for New Politics (NCNP); Served as an anchor of a SBS radio news program 1998 Elected to the 15th National Assembly in a by-election in Seoul's Jongno District (as an NCNP candidate); Served as an arbitrator in the labor-management dispute at the Hyundai Motor Company 1999 Gave up the chance to seek a National Assembly seat for a second term in the Jongno District in Seoul and chose to run for the National Assembly seat in Busan; Served as the head of the Committee for the Development of the Southeast Regions of the Millennium Democratic Party 2000 Ran for the National Assembly Seat in Busan (unsuccessful); Served as the minister of maritime affairs and fisheries (August 2000 - March 2001) 2001 Served as advisor and senior member of the Central Committee, the Millennium Democratic Party; Appeared in the commercial of the Daewoo Motors as the 154,451th supporter. 2002 Nominated as the presidential candidate of the Millennium Democratic Party in a national primary election system; Elected President of the Republic of Korea in the 16th Presidential election. Feb 2003 - Feb 2008 President of South Korea 23 May 2009, commits suicide after being caught up in a bribery scandal.
Politics: Millennium Democratic Party