[A Sip of a Book] Life Reflected Upon by Former President Kim Dae-jung After Retirement from Politics

Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of Kim Dae-jung's Birth and 30 Years Since Publication
'Again, For a New Beginning' Reissued

Former President Kim Dae-jung announced his retirement from politics on December 19, 1992. It was the day after he lost the 14th presidential election. On January 26 of the following year, former President Kim left for a study trip to the United Kingdom. At the suggestion of a publishing company to take some time to reflect on life as a private citizen, he wrote intermittently while in the UK. At the end of that year, former President Kim's first autobiographical essay, For a New Beginning, was published. It sold over 300,000 copies and became a bestseller.

Former President Kim Dae-jung declared his return to politics in July 1995 and won the presidential election in 1997. In 1998, he published a revised edition of For a New Beginning under the title Again, For a New Beginning.

This year, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of President Kim Dae-jung's birth and the 30th anniversary of the publication of his first essay, Again, For a New Beginning has been reissued. Former President Kim expresses his thoughts honestly in comfortable and simple sentences.

I believe there are two paths in the way of life. One is to place meaning on 'what one becomes,' and the other is to emphasize 'how one lives.' Some people ignore 'how' in order to become 'something.' These people think that once they become 'something,' 'how' they live no longer matters. And it seems that the idea that 'how' can be justified as long as one becomes 'something' is widely spread in our society. (p.37, The Pages of History I Will Be Recorded In)

All things are made up of yin and yang, but yin and yang are not separate; rather, yang exists within yin, and yin exists within yang. This is the core of the yin-yang theory as I understand it. In other words, black contains white, and white contains black; there can be no absolute dichotomy of black and white. I think those who insist on complete black or absolute white do not understand life. (Omitted) Even hardships that seem impossible to overcome, when looked back upon, are not as difficult as they seemed. And depending on how one responds, such hardships can often bring great benefits. (pp.56-57, Six Years of University Life)

While carefully observing a unified Germany, I discovered one fact. Although East Germans’ lives had clearly improved compared to before unification, they were not very happy. This was because they were accustomed to the passive complacency of the communist world and now had to take full responsibility for everything themselves. Rather than feeling this as the happy condition of freedom, they felt burdened by it. They were given freedom along with infinite opportunities, and that freedom comes with responsibility. However, they did not want to bear that responsibility. Although they longed so much to be absorbed into West German society, they did not feel great happiness within the freedom and opportunities that are treasures of a democratic society. (p.66, Seeing the Trees and the Forest)

Among the world's four great inventions, three were invented in China. However, it was Western society that truly blossomed culture and achieved historical leaps by utilizing those inventions. The three inventions are paper, the compass, and gunpowder. (Omitted) Looking at these facts, one realizes that it is more important who creatively imitated and developed an invention than who originally invented it. Even the first invention has little value if it is not developed and applied to industry or daily life. (Omitted) Ultimately, China, which invented paper, the compass, and gunpowder, suffered the misfortune of being occupied and colonized by the West, which creatively imitated these inventions. They came using the compass they invented, led by cannons made from the gunpowder they invented, and surrendered with documents written on the paper they invented. It is an irony of history. (pp.160-161, Creative Imitation)

'Today is never yesterday. Tomorrow is never today. The world inevitably changes. Tomorrow may reduce today's pain or appear as a blessing. Therefore, one must endure as far as possible. Endurance is a blessing.' (Omitted) A foreigner once said that Koreans have many virtues but two critical flaws. One is that historically, Korea tends not to nurture great figures, and the other is that Koreans act too hastily without patience. (Omitted) When talking about patience, I must also say a word about the underground and students. Looking at the history of our student movement, we must carefully consider how many setbacks were caused by hasty actions disconnected from the people and how much benefit this gave to those who do not want democracy and unification. (pp.168-172, Just Endure One Day)

During the election period, there were also announcements from the Agency for National Security Planning claiming that North Korean broadcasts were inciting Kim Dae-jung's election. They tried to trap me with the logic that since Kim Il-sung of North Korea told people to vote for me, I must be a pro-communist and leftist. (Omitted) I am deeply saddened that our presidential election is decided by such absurd factors. This kind of election atmosphere and political practice, which tolerates any means or methods to achieve an objective, is polluting the consciousness of our people. (p.278, The Eve of Retirement)