Kim Young-sam

Who is Kim Young-sam?

Kim Young-sam is a South Korean politician and democratic activist, who served as the seventh President of South Korea from 1993 to 1998. From 1961, he spent almost 30 years as one of the leaders of the South Korean opposition, and one the most powerful rivals to the authoritarian regimes of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan.

Elected president in 1992, Kim became the first civilian to hold the office in over 30 years. He was inaugurated on February 25, 1993, and served a single five-year term, presiding over a massive anti-corruption campaign, the arrest of his two predecessors, and an internationalization policy called Segyehwa.