Former Prime Minister Lee Han-dong Passes Away at Age 87

Lee Han-dong, President of the Korea Promise Foundation (Former Prime Minister)

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Former Prime Minister Lee Han-dong passed away on the 8th at the age of 87.

It was reported that former Prime Minister Lee passed away at his home around noon on the same day due to an illness. Currently, the bereaved family is known to be discussing funeral arrangements such as the funeral hall.

Former Prime Minister Lee was born in 1934 in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, and graduated from Kyungbock High School and Seoul National University Law School. While attending Seoul National University Law School, he passed the 10th Higher Civil Service Examination in the judicial department and served as a judge at the Seoul District Court, chief prosecutor at the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office, and head of the Special Investigation Division 1.

Entering politics in 1980, former Prime Minister Lee served as chairman of the Democratic Justice Party's district party for Yeoncheon-gun, Pocheon-gun, and Gapyeong-gun, and was elected as a member of the 11th, 12th, and 13th National Assembly. As secretary-general and floor leader of the Democratic Justice Party, he led the June 29 Declaration of 1987, the direct presidential election constitutional amendment, the clearing of the Fifth Republic, and former President Chun Doo-hwan's testimony before the National Assembly through compromises with the opposition party.

In December 1988, he served as Minister of the Interior, and in January 1990, with the merger of the three parties?the Democratic Justice Party, the Unified Democratic Party, and the New Democratic Republican Party?the Democratic Liberal Party was launched. He was elected as a member of the 14th and 15th National Assembly under the Democratic Liberal Party.

Former Prime Minister Lee ran in the New Korea Party's presidential primary in 1997 but was defeated, placing third behind Lee Hoi-chang and Lee In-je. Afterwards, he became the leader of the Grand National Party. In 1999, he left the Grand National Party and joined the United Liberal Democrats, and in the 2000 16th general election, he was elected for the sixth term.

He later served as senior deputy chairman of the United Liberal Democrats and was appointed as the 33rd Prime Minister during the Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-pil (DJP) coalition government, serving for 2 years and 2 months. He was the first Prime Minister to be appointed after a confirmation hearing.