Kim Dae-jung Leaves Presidential Post with Success and Lost

Home>>World

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, February 25, 2003

Kim Dae-jung Leaves Presidential Post with Success and Lost

Monday is the last working day of South Korean outgoing President Kim Dae-jung as the country's top leader, he will be an ordinary people on Tuesday.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Monday is the last working day of South Korean outgoing President Kim Dae-jung as the country's top leader, he will be an ordinary people on Tuesday.

He got up early Monday morning to pay a ceremonial visit to theNational Cemetery in Seoul where honors many important figures in the country's history.

After the memorial ceremony, he returned back to the Presidential Office to preside the last cabinet meeting before he retires. He also met with visiting Chinese Vice Premier Qian Qichen on Monday afternoon, the last foreign leader he received as the country's president.

After the meeting, he left the President Office, where he handled various issues in his five-year term, and go back to his private residence in Seoul.

It is again a busy day for Kim just like most of the other working days he has experienced in the past times. Tomorrow, he will transfer his rights to the President-elect Roh Moo-hyun.

Kim, 78, once was labeled as democratic fighter in South Korea,ends his tenure with conspicuous achievements as well as overt regrets.

Five years ago, when he entered the Blue House, the Presidential Office, the Asian country was suffering from economic pains due to the Asian Financial Crisis. The South Korean business, especially the financial and banking system were undergoing tough time since the International Monetary Fund (IFM) demanded them to reform according to strict standards.

Now five years have past, the South Korean economy recovered successfully under Kim's leadership and achieved prosperity.

The foreign reserves of the country topped 123.4 billion US dollars as of Jan. 15, 2003, 13 times larger than that of 1997. The trade volume of 2002 reached 3.15 trillion dollars, about 1.5 times the figure of 1998.

Various reforms have been carried out in enterprises, banking, public and labor sectors. South Korean females benefited from the establishment of the Ministry of Gender Equality which aims to enhance their social status.

Moreover, the successful hosting of the 2002 World Cup finals and Busan Asian Games were viewed as Kim's government prominent achievements.

South Korean national football squad lanced into the semifinals historically which aroused high fever in the South Korean people. And the country's image was promoted by hosting the world attractive games.

While the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s participation in the 14 Asian Games also made the sports event satisfactory.

Five years ago, when Kim Dae-jung vowed as the country's top leader, the inter-Korean ties were in stalemate. It was his "Sunshine Policy" and the rapprochement and reconciliation policy toward the other part on the Korean Peninsula that helped defuse the tension and alleviate the South Koreans' hostile attitude on the DPRK.

The historic summit between Kim Dae-jung and the DPRK top leader Kim Jong Il in June 2000 was also remembered by the people. Since then the inter-Korean relations have been progressed considerably, with the inter-Korean trade volume soaring to 360 million US dollars level from 1998-2002.

More than 540,000 South Korean people since then visited the DPRK, among whom were the 500.000 tourists to travel to the DPRK scenic resort Geumgang Mountain.

In the two-year period after the summit, nine rounds of inter-Korean ministerial talks and four rounds of inter-Korean economic meetings have been held to outline the development of joint projects.

Relinking cross-border railways and roads, construction of a industrial complex in the DPRK near border city Kaesong, opening of overland route to Mount Geumgang passing through the eastern demilitarized zone (DMZ) are all undergoing.

Moreover, six rounds of separated family reunions of the two countries have been organized in the five years.

Kim's endeavor to promote the South Korea-DPRK ties and maintain peaceful atmosphere on the peninsular was awarded by the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize.

Even when some unhappy things broke out in the bilateral ties, such the skirmish between the two navies in the sea, he and his government never give up the engagement policy. They hold that only such policy can help the independent reunification of the two countries, but one nation.

But just 10-day before his retirement, he has to say apology to his country for a large sum of secret money donated to the DPRK bya South Koran big enterprise.

The reports about the Hyundai Group remitted 500 million dollars to the DPRK for exclusive rights over joint projects just one week before the meeting of Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong Il was confirmed by the outgoing president, but he denied the meeting was "purchased" by the huge fund.

However, his explanation did not clear up all the conjecture which linking the remittance to the summit, his reputation along with "Sunshine Policy" shadowed obviously.

Kim always said he was prided in the "Sunshine Policy," labeled it as one of his five-year term prominent accomplishments. The exposure of the secret money hit his achievement and himself in despite of the real nature of the remittance.

Most of Kim's predecessors were prosecuted for bribery and corruption after they winded up their terms, which pushed Kim to vow to the people that he will set up a clean government.

But his second and youngest sons' sentences for tax evasion and bribery made his promise visionary and disappointed South Korean people.

Although Kim Dae-jung will start a new ordinary live lack of family happiness, he is confident of his actions during his five-year term. "What I have done will be testified by the time and judged by the South Korean people," he said.

Questions?Comments? Click here

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

Top CPC Leader Pledges Greater Focus on Fighting Corruption ( 5 Messages)

China Hopes for Peace, Stability in Korean Peninsula ( 2 Messages)

US Has no Reason to Launch Imminent War on Iraq ( 3 Messages)

Resolved to Recover Lost Cultural Relics in Overseas ( 12 Messages)

China Remembers Deng Xiaoping on Anniversary of Death ( 4 Messages)