Kim Dae-jung Called on S. Korean People to Support His Successor

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, February 24, 2003

Kim Dae-jung Called on S. Korean People to Support His Successor

Outgoing South Korean President Kim Dae-jung Monday called on the South Korean people to support his successor Roh Moo-hyun, who will be sworn in on Tuesday.

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Outgoing South Korean President Kim Dae-jung Monday called on the South Korean people to support his successor Roh Moo-hyun, who will be sworn in on Tuesday.

Kim made the appeal in his farewell speech on Monday morning. He will officially end his five-year term as the country's top leader at 12:00 p.m. (15:00 GMT), and President-elect Roh Moo-hyun will swear in on Tuesday morning.

The 78-year old man said during his lively televised speech that "I bow my head deeply in gratitude to the kindness of the people who encouraged me over the past five years."

In the emotional speech, Kim also touched upon the relations between South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). He praised the rapprochement and reconciliation policy toward DPRK, saying that "the 'sunshine policy' has greatly eased the tension on the Korean Peninsula."

"We must walk along the path of peaceful coexistence and peaceful exchanges and cooperation," he said. "This is the best way to ending the national tragedy and achieving national unification."

The outgoing president said that Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear program, but he emphasized that the issue must be resolved through dialogue.

Meanwhile, Kim also apologized for hurting the people during his "difficult political life," an apparent reference to his two sons' law violation actions and the 500 million US dollars secret illegal remittance to the DPRK by Hyundai Group in 2000.

Kim Dae-jung and his wife Lee Hee-ho visited the National Cemetery Monday (See the right photo).

On his last day in office on Monday, Kim meets with visiting Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen and appears at a farewell news conference.

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