Former President Kim to donate all his wealth

Former President gives back: Ahn Sang-soo, right, chairman of the governing Grand National Party, bows to former President Kim Young-sam during his New Year courtesy visit, Wednesday. In the meeting, the former President said that he will donate his wealth estimated at 5 billion won ($4. 4 million) to society. / Korea Times photo by Oh Dae-geun

By Na Jeong-ju

Former President Kim Young-sam said Wednesday that he will donate all his wealth, estimated at 5 billion won, to society.

The 83-year-old former President revealed his plan when Rep. Ahn Sang-soo, chairman of the governing Grand National Party, was making a New Year courtesy call.

“Everything ends when we die, and we don’t live infinitely. I don’t see the need to pass on what I have to my children and I think it’s best to donate to society,” said Kim, who served as president from 1993 to 1998, in his meeting with Ahn at his house in Sangdo-dong, Seoul.

According to his aides, Kim is expected to donate his Seoul house and real estate on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province to a private foundation named the “Kim Young-sam Democracy Center.” His birth home on Geoje Island is expected to be donated to the city there.

Kim’s aides said his donation will help raise social awareness and become a lesson for politicians and businesspeople.

In 2009, President Lee Myung-bak donated 33.1 billion won, about 87 percent of his personal assets, to society, fulfilling a pledge he made during the 2007 presidential campaign.

The Lee Myung-bak-Kim Yoon-ok Foundation, named after Lee and his wife, was created to use the donation for scholarships and welfare programs for the underprivileged.

Kim was the first non-military president who took office after a string of authoritarian governments.

After taking office in 1993, he surprised the nation by implementing the real-name financial transaction system in August of that year. He also undertook other reforms such as adopting a real-name property system and mandating that public officials disclose their wealth. His later days in office were weakened by a scandal involving his son, Kim Hyun-chul.

The visiting governing party chief lauded the former President’s decision, saying it will set a great example.

Concerning the recent violence that marred proceedings at the National Assembly last December, Kim remarked that politicians in his time engaged in physical fights. “But that was when we didn’t know much about politics. Today’s politicians know better, and I am ashamed for the National Assembly.”

Kim told the visiting governing party chief that much of the responsibility rests with the Grand National Party, which should set an example. He also stressed that politicians should put priority on national security.

YS 전재산 환납

김영삼 전 대통령이 5일 상도동 자택과 거제도 땅 등 자신의 전 재산을 사회에 환원하겠다는 뜻을 밝혔다.

김 전 대통령은 그의 상도동 자택에서 한나라당 안상수 대표의 신년 인사를 받으면서 “거제에 땅이 조금 있었는데 재산을 전부 사회에 환원 하겠다”면서 “집도 다 내놓았고 자식에게 일체 물려주는 것도 없다”고 말했다.

이어 김 전 대통령은 “죽으면 끝나는 것이고 영원히 못 산다. 내가 가진 재산을 자식에게 줄 필요가 없고, 재산을 환원하는 게 좋을 것 같다고 생각했다”고 말했다.

김 전 대통령의 재산은 상도동 자택을 포함해 50억원에 이르는 것으로 알려졌다.

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