HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kim Jong-pil (; ; January 7, 1926 – June 23, 2018), also known colloquially as JP, was a South Korean politician and the founder/first director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA, now the National Intelligence Service). He served as
Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...
twice, from 1971 to 1975 during the presidency of
Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
(1961–1979) and from 1998 to 2000 during the presidency of
Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (; ; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his work for democracy and human ...
(1998–2003). He was a nine term National Assembly member.


Early life

Kim Jong-pil was born in Buyeo County,
South Chungcheong Province South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...
. He initially attended Seoul National University's College of Education but graduated from the
Korea Military Academy Korea Military Academy (KMA) is the leading South Korean institution for the education and training of officer cadets for the Republic of Korea Army. Along with the Korea Army Academy (Yeongcheon), it produces the largest number of senior office ...
(KMA) in 1949 (8th graduating class). From September 1951 to March 1952, he studied at the U.S. Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia. He participated in the
Korean War {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Korean War , partof = the Cold War and the Korean conflict , image = Korean War Montage 2.png , image_size = 300px , caption = Clockwise from top:{ ...
as an intelligence officer of the
Republic of Korea Army The Republic of Korea Army (ROKA; ko, 대한민국 육군; Hanja: 大韓民國 陸軍; RR: ''Daehanminguk Yuk-gun''), also known as the ROK Army or South Korean Army, is the army of South Korea, responsible for ground-based warfare. It is the l ...
. He retired as a brigadier general.


Political career

After the April Revolution, a citizens' and students' uprising against the
Syngman Rhee Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...
dictatorship and election fraud in 1960, he engineered the
May 16 coup The May 16 military coup d'état () was a military coup d'état in South Korea in 1961, organized and carried out by Park Chung-hee and his allies who formed the Military Revolutionary Committee, nominally led by Army Chief of Staff Chang Do ...
, led by Major General
Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
in 1961 with his fellow Korea Military Academy (8th graduating class) classmates. He served in several high-profile offices, including Chairman of the ruling Democratic Republican Party during Park's eighteen year presidency until assassination in 1979. In 1965, he spearheaded the establishment of diplomatic relations with Japan following the conclusion of Imperial Japanese rule of Korea. Japanese rule of Daeil Cheongoogwon was used as seed money for economic development of Pohang Steel and the Gyeongbu Expressway to achieve the Miracle on the Han River. The poverty of 60 dollars income to 30,000 dollars strong economy of South Korea. Income went from 60 South Korean Won to 30,000 South Korean Won, representing a strong economy. In 1963, he founded the Democratic Republican Party which helped President
Park Chung-hee Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
strengthen his power and his party maintained supermajority during his presidency. From 1971 to 1975, he served as Prime Minister of South Korea. He assumed the same position from 1998 to 2000 during
Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (; ; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his work for democracy and human ...
's presidency as part of the Alliance DJP. In 1987, Kim Jong-pil staged a political comeback by creating a new political party known as the
New Democratic Republican Party The New Democratic Republican Party ( Korean: 신민주공화당 ''Sin-minju-gonghwa-dang'') was a South Korean political party which formed in 1987 and dissolved in 1990. It was particularly strong in Hoseo, the home region of party leader Kim J ...
(NDRP). Most of the key party members and backers were conservatives who had served with him under the Park Chung-hee administration. Key members included Choi Gak-kyu, Kim Dong-kun, Koo Ja-choon, Lee Hee-il, Kim Yong-tae, Cho Yong-jik, Kim Yong-hwan, Kim Moon-won, etc. As chairman of the NDRP, he ran for president and lost to Roh Tae-woo of the ruling Democratic Justice Party (DJP). In the 13th National Assembly legislative elections held in April 1988, the NDRP won 35 seats out of the 299-seat National Assembly. In January 1990, Kim Jong-pil led the merger of his party with the ruling DJP and opposition party, Kim Young-sam's Reunification Democratic Party (RDP) to create the Democratic Liberal Party (DLP). Jong-pil became the Executive Chairman of the newly formed DLP and Kim Young-sam became the party's presidential nominee in the 1992 South Korea presidential elections, which he won. The outline of Kim Jong-pil's positions hardly described the skill of the politician in navigating the complexities of South Korean politics. Scholars note that he mastered the art of political coalitions. This is demonstrated in the way he was able to reemerge politically stronger after suffering various political setbacks. For instance, by October 1997, Kim Jong-pil's popularity had fluctuated, hovering between 2.9 percent and 4.6 percent, which was attributed to his reputation as being an integral member of the authoritarian rule of Park Chung-hee. part. This was further aggravated by the conservative party's image problem, which was identified with old politicians who have ethical flaws. Through clever political maneuvering, however, Kim Jong-pil struck a power-sharing deal with
Kim Dae-jung Kim Dae-jung (; ; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his work for democracy and human ...
's
National Congress for New Politics The National Congress for New Politics (; NCNP) was a political party of South Korea. History The party was formed in 1995 as the National Congress for New Politics after Kim Dae-jung returned to active politics following his retirement in 1992 ...
, known as the DJP Alliance, which allowed him to choose half of the cabinet members of the Kim Dae-Jung administration. The deal also included his appointment as prime minister in March 1998 during Kim Dae-jung's presidency (1998-2003) for the second time. In 2004, he announced his retirement from politics after his bid for a tenth term in the
National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the r ...
failed and his party, the
United Liberal Democrats The United Liberal Democrats ( ko, 자유민주연합, Yayuminjuyeonhab, Liberal Democratic Union, ULD) was a right-wing conservative political party in South Korea, whose support mostly came from the North Chungcheong and South Chungcheong regi ...
, was unable to gain a sizable number of seats in the 2004 parliamentary election. The party later merged into Grand National Party. Kim Jong Pil was the last of the "Three Kims," which refers to himself, Kim Young-sam, and Kim Dae-jung, who dominated South Korea's politics for decades. Fate had him elude the presidency on several occasions, earning him the title "the perennial no. 2 man."


Scouting

He served as Korea Scout Association President until June 6, 1969. In 1967 he received the highest distinction of the
Scout Association of Japan The is the major Scouting organization of Japan. Starting with boys only, the organization was known as Boy Scouts of Japan from 1922 to 1971, and as Boy Scouts of Nippon from 1971 to 1995, when it became coeducational in all sections, leading to ...
, the
Golden Pheasant Award The is the highest award for adult leaders in the Scout Association of Japan. It is awarded by the Chief Scout of Japan, awarded for eminent achievement and meritorious service to the Association for a period of at least twenty years. It may be ...
.


Ancestry

He is the 12th generation descendant of Kim Ye-jik, a military officer who served at Injo Coup in 1623 during the early
Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...
period, and a younger brother of Royal Noble Consort Gongbin. Both are children of Kim Hui-Cheol, known as Internal Prince Haeryeong, the Musin who was killed during the
Imjin War The Imjin River ( in South Korea) or Rimjin River ( in North Korea) is the 7th largest river in Korea. It flows from north to south, crossing the Demilitarized Zone and joining the Han River downstream of Seoul, near the Yellow Sea. The rive ...
in 1592. Hui-Cheol is great-grandson of Kim Young-jeong, both of them were civil ministers also during early Joseon period. Kim Young-Jeong is the 7th generation descendant of Kim Mok-kyung, the ancestor of the Gyeong branch of Gimhae Kim clan and the Samjungdaegwang during the reign of King Chunghye of
Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean kingdom founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korean Peninsula until 1392. Goryeo achieved what has been called a "true national unificat ...
. Their lineage can be traced back to Kim Sam-kwang who was the son of Kim Yu-sin. This makes him a descendant of the royal family of
Geumgwan Gaya Geumgwan Gaya (43–532), also known as Bon-Gaya (본가야, 本伽倻, "original Gaya") or Garakguk (가락국, "Garak State"), was the ruling city-state of the Gaya confederacy during the Three Kingdoms Period in Korea. It is believed to have b ...
. This fact is also revealed in the 2001 sentimental letter written to ''Bhimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra'', a king of erstwhile
Ayodhya Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Ayodhya, also known as Saketa, is an ancient city of India, the birthplace of Rama and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Ayodhy ...
state with a history of 200 years old, Kim talked about his March 2001 visit to India. He mentioned it "remained very meaningful to me" as it "fulfilled his desire to visit Ayodhya, a princess of which became the queen of King Suro of Gaya and
Heo Hwang-ok A commemorative Rs. 25.00 postage stamp on Princess Suriratna (Queen Heo Hwang-ok ) was issued by India in 2019. A commemorative Rs. 5.00 postage stamp on Queen Heo Hwang-ok (Suriratna) was issued by India in 2019. Heo Hwang-ok, also known a ...
. I am the 72nd generation descendant of the King Kim Suro of the Garak Kingdom." Kim was amongst more than a hundred historians and government representatives, including the North Korean ambassador to India, and an 18-member delegation from South Korea – led by former
Gimhae Gimhae () is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It is the seat of the large Gimhae Kim clan, one of the largest Kim clans in Korea. The Gimhae Kims claim descent from the ancient royal house of Geumgwan Gaya, which was based in G ...
Mayor Song Eun-bok – composed of prominent industrialists who inaugurated a memorial to their royal ancestor, Queen Hwang Huh on the west bank of the ''River Sarayu''. The monument was built using a three-metre high stone weighing 7,500 kg, specially shipped from South Korea.


Private life

On February 15, 1951, Kim married Park Young-ok (October 30, 1929 – February 21, 2015), who was President Park Chung-hee's niece. Kim died on June 23, 2018, at Sindang-dong, Seoul at the age of 92. His
state funeral A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive elements of ...
was held on June 24, 2018, and he was buried alongside his wife.


Quotes

His words: Jawuiban Tawuiban (자의반 타의반): half my will Half others will.


See also

*
Politics of South Korea The politics of the Republic of Korea take place in the framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the president is the head of state, and of a multi-party system. The government exercises executive power and ...


Notes


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kim, Jong-pil 1926 births 2018 deaths People from Buyeo County Gimhae Kim clan Korea Military Academy alumni Prime Ministers of South Korea Directors of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency Members of the National Assembly (South Korea) United Liberal Democrats politicians Converts to Protestantism from Buddhism South Korean Protestants