SOUTH KOREA – Civil society mourn over Kim Dae-Jung’s death
1 September 2009 3:00 am

sk_daejung_aug2009_koreatimes.jpgFormer President of South Korea
Kim Dae-Jung passed away on 18 August 2009. FORUM-ASIA's Korean member People's
Solidarity for Participatory Democracy issued a statement on the day, mourning
over the death of a leader who devoted himself to democratisation and peace in
Korean peninsula.
sk_daejung_aug2009_koreatimes.jpgFormer President of South Korea
Kim Dae-Jung passed away on 18 August 2009. FORUM-ASIA's Korean member People's
Solidarity for Participatory Democracy issued a statement on the day, mourning
over the death of a leader who devoted himself to democratisation and peace in
Korean peninsula.

Former
President of South Korea, Kim Dae-Jung passed away today. We are deeply
saddened and grieve the loss of the man who has devoted his life for
the democratization of South Korea and the reconciliation and
reunification of North and South Korea.

The former President Kim was a man of conviction who had a
determined philosophy and faith on the democratization of the Korean
society and endeavored to achieve peace on the Korean peninsula. He
bore up under the suppression and violence under the dictatorship and
also protected Korea during economic crisis.

Former President Kim was recognized and praised by the
international society for his efforts for Korean democratization and
peace on the peninsula. He was a pride of Korea. He was not only a
former president but also a social leader and honorable elderly who was
always respected by people. Most of all, since democracy is
deteriorating in Korea and the current situation between North and
South Korea is perilous, his death is extremely heartbreaking and
distressing to everyone.

Today, even though we lost our beloved leader, we will forever
remember the former President Kim who, to the end, concerned of the
digressing state of Korean democracy and worked earnestly for peace on
the peninsula. We take former President Kim's repeated words 'be a
conscience in action' and write his last words indelibly in our hearts.
Again, we express our deepest condolence to the death of former
President Kim.

(Photo courtesy of the Korea Times)