Kim Young-sam

Kim Young- sam ( born December 20, 1927 in Geoje, Korea) was on 25 February 1993 to 25 February 1998 Chairman of South Korea. After 32 years, the country had thus again a civilian as head of state.

Life

Kim, in 1952, graduated from Seoul National University and in 1954 was first elected to the South Korean National Assembly. During the 1970s and 1980s he was a leading opposition politician along with Kim Dae-jung. As in 1987 upon the resignation of ex-general Chun Doo -hwan held the first democratic parliamentary elections, Kim Young- sam and Kim stood as candidates Dae -jung against each other, thus enabling the ex-general Roh Tae -woo - the candidate of Chun Doo -hwan - the election. 1990, the parties of Kim and Roh joined together to form a Conservative government party. As a result, Kim Young- sam won on 18 December 1992, the presidential election against Kim Dae -jung. Although Kim tried to reform the chaebol ( conglomerates ), is associated with his name, especially the Asian crisis, the South Korean version began in 1997 with the collapse of Kia Motors.

Kim's tenure was marred by several major disasters, such as the collapse of the Seongsu Bridge, the sinking of a ship and the crash of flight 801 of Korean Air