Carter urged clemency for Kim Dae-jung, records show

A document has been released for the first time showing that in 1980, during the “Kim Dae-jung Conspiracy Case,” U.S. President Jimmy Carter requested clemency for former President Kim Dae-jung. Carter cited widespread concern among the American public, Congress, and government officials over the possibility of Kim’s execution.

On the 16th anniversary of Kim’s death, the National Institute of Korean History released related documents declassified by the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration on Aug. 18. The materials, totaling roughly 3,150 pages in two boxes, were reportedly created or maintained by the State Department’s Bureau of Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs.

The Kim Dae-jung Conspiracy Case involved more than 20 pro-democracy activists, including Kim, who were tried by a military court in 1980 on charges of instigating the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprising under North Korea’s direction. On Nov. 10, 1980, then-President Chun Doo-hwan sent a letter to the United States, and on Dec. 6, President Carter expressed concern in a reply via U.S. Ambassador to South Korea William Gleysteen. The committee said, “In his letter, President Carter warned that executing Kim could seriously threaten U.S.-South Korea relations.”

The newly released documents also include records showing that the U.S. closely monitored Kim Dae-jung’s trial and provided detailed updates to Washington. Materials from the State Department’s Office of the Legal Adviser noted that Kim had engaged in legitimate political activities that would not have been punishable in a democratic country.


박선희 기자 teller@donga.com