Kim Geun-tae
| Kim Geun-tae | |
|---|---|
| 김근태 | |
Kim in 2008
|
|
| Chairman of the Uri Party | |
|
In office 9 June 2006 – 4 February 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Chung Dong-young |
| Succeeded by | Chung Sye-kyun |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
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In office 30 May 1996 – 29 May 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Kim Hwa-joong |
| Succeeded by | Yoo Ihn-tae |
| Constituency | Seoul Dobong A |
| Minister of Health and Welfare | |
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In office 1 July 2004 – 31 December 2005 |
|
| President | Roh Moo-hyun |
| Prime Minister |
Lee Hae Chan Han Deok-Su (Acting) |
| Preceded by | Kim Hwa-joong |
| Succeeded by | Rhyu Si-min |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
14 February 1947 Bucheon, South Korea |
| Died | 30 December 2011 (aged 64) Seoul, South Korea |
| Political party |
Democratic Party (1996–2003, 2007–2011) Uri Party (2003–2007) |
| Spouse(s) | In Jae-keun (m. 1970–2011) |
| Alma mater | Seoul National University |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | |
|---|---|
| Hanja | |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Geuntae |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Kŭnt'ae |
Kim Geun-tae (14 February 1947 – 30 December 2011) was a democracy activist and politician of the Republic of Korea.
Kim was born in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do. He studied in Gyeonggi High School and entered Seoul National University and majored economics. In college, he started demonstrating against the Yushin Regime of President Park Chung-hee and for democracy. He was arrested several times and served several years in prison. After serving a full sentence, Kim was freed.
Although Park Chung-hee was assassinated in 1979, the military dictatorship was succeeded by General Chun Doo-hwan in 1980. After Kim's release from prison, he began protesting against Chun's regime and founded the democracy activist group, Democratic Youth Coalition (민청련, 民靑聯) in 1983. In 1985, he was arrested for profiting North Korea (which was a frequent frame-up to the democracy movement by the military government) and tortured severely for 23 days by Lee Guen An, who was an inspector of the national police. In 1987, he shared the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award with his wife In Jae-keun.The Award is given annually to those whose courageous activism is at the heart of the human rights movement and in the spirit of Robert F. Kennedy's vision and legacy.
He remembered the details of the torture and the identity of torturer, and revealed it during his trial. The government denied it at that time, but it was revealed as the truth after the democracy movement successfully forced the military regime into enacting democratic reforms. Lee Geun An, who tortured Kim, was wanted for the crime after the political situation reversed.
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