hankyoreh

a man of conscience.

Photographer Kim Man-jung took this photo of the solitary confinement room in Cheongju Prison where late President Kim Dae-jung had been held from January 1981 to December 1982 in 2002 at the request of the Cheong Wa Dae after the late president had received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Kim Dae-jung had been given a death sentence by the military court in charge of bringing ruling over cases related to the Gwangju Democracy Movement in 1980. The death sentence was then commuted to life imprisonment in January 1981 and Kim was moved to this prison cell. In December 1982, Kim was exiled forcefully to the U.S. The cell disappeared due to prison remodeling efforts.

The photographer has sent 13 photos, including this one, to the Hankyoreh and says, “I have decided to share these photos in order to remind the public of late President Kim’s footprints.” During the last year of former President Kim’s life, the former prisoner of conscience urged citizens to continue to advance democracy and unifcation efforts and to serve as ‘consciences in action.’

Photo by Kim Jung-man/Photographer