Kim Dae Jung on Kim Young Sam

Kim Dae Jung regarded Kim Young Sam as a key, though sometimes competitive, figure in the democratic movement against authoritarian rule. The two men, often referred to as the "two Kims," worked together against the military regimes of Park Chung Hee and Chun Doo Hwan, sharing a common goal of establishing democracy in South Korea. Their cooperation was evident early on, such as when Kim Dae Jung supported Kim Young Sam for a leadership position in the opposition party in 1979, despite personal rivalry and attempts by associates to dissuade him. This shared history in opposition forged a foundational political relationship.

However, their relationship was also marked by intense political rivalry, most notably when they split the opposition vote in the 1987 presidential election, which ultimately propelled Roh Tae Woo to the presidency. Kim Young Sam later angered some pro-democracy figures, including associates of Kim Dae Jung, by merging his party with Roh's ruling party in 1990. Despite this divergence and later becoming political rivals in the 1992 presidential election (which Kim Young Sam won), Kim Dae Jung demonstrated magnanimity. Upon becoming President-elect in 1997, Kim Dae Jung famously asked the incumbent Kim Young Sam to pardon the imprisoned former military presidents, Chun and Roh, in the spirit of national reconciliation, showing that for him, national unity could sometimes supersede political differences.