Kim Dae-jung's 1984 letter to Kennedy reveals calls for democracy

A letter penned by the late South Korean President Kim Dae-jung to U.S. Senator Edward Kennedy in 1984 has been publicly disclosed, shedding light on his persistent advocacy for democracy during his exile. The correspondence urges the United States to shift its stance from tacitly supporting military dictatorships to clearly backing democratic processes in South Korea.

In the letter, dated August 6, 1984, Kim stated, "We are not demanding that the United States restore our democracy for us. We are only demanding that it change its attitude of condoning or supporting military dictatorships since the December 12, 1979 coup. The United States must clearly support democratic procedures and systems that allow the people to determine their own future through free press, free expression, and free elections."

Kim also included an essay titled "The Fate of Korea at a Crossroads: My Views and Proposals," which he sent to Kennedy. He expressed his willingness to provide further information on Korean affairs. The documents, including the letter and related news articles, were donated to the Kim Dae-jung Nobel Peace Prize Memorial Foundation by Tomohito Shinoda, a professor at Japan's International University who previously worked in Kennedy's office. The foundation released them on June 14, marking the eve of the 26th anniversary of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit.

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We are not demanding that the United States restore our democracy for us. We are only demanding that it change its attitude of condoning or supporting military dictatorships since the December 12, 1979 coup. The United States must clearly support democratic procedures and systems that allow the people to determine their own future through free press, free expression, and free elections.

The essay itself stressed that democracy is a prize to be won through the people's beliefs, efforts, and sacrifices. "Democracy is not given automatically," Kim wrote. "It always comes with a price, and that price must be borne by the people, the masters of democracy. Conscience that does not act is on the side of evil."

The released materials are seen as a declaration that foreshadowed Kim's political path after his return to South Korea. His proposals for inter-Korean dialogue, emphasizing the necessity of cooperation from major global powers like the U.S., Japan, China, and the Soviet Union, laid the groundwork for the successful 2000 Inter-Korean Summit. He also addressed regional disparities, pointing out the severe threat posed by the concentration of population and currency in Seoul and advocating for the restoration of local autonomy, a cause he championed through a hunger strike in 1990.

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Democracy is not given automatically. It always comes with a price, and that price must be borne by the people, the masters of democracy. Conscience that does not act is on the side of evil.