Kim Hong-up, ex-lawmaker and son of former President Kim Dae-jung, dies at 75

Former lawmaker Kim Hong-up, second son of former president Kim Dae-jung, attends a ceremony in Seoul to mark the 100th anniversary of his father's birth, Dec. 14, 2023. Yonhap

Kim Hong-up, an ex-lawmaker and the second son of former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Kim Dae-jung, died on Wednesday. He was 75.

The exact cause of his death has not yet been confirmed, but Kim reportedly suffered from complications related to kidney disease.

Kim served as a key aide to his late father during the elder Kim's turbulent years in the main opposition party under military dictatorship. In 1976, Kim Dae-jung was imprisoned for supporting the Declaration for Democratization, a statement calling for an end to authoritarian rule. Kim Hong-up and his mother, Lee Hee-ho, led a campaign to save the former president’s life. He was arrested again in 1980 and sentenced to death, which was commuted in 1982, when he was exiled to the United States.

Kim Hong-up accompanied him during his time in the U.S. and served as director of the Korea Democratic Human Rights Research Center, working to raise international awareness of the human rights situation in South Korea. In 1997, he helped his father to win the presidential election.

Kim Dae-jung served as the president of Korea from 1998-2003 and passed away in 2009. He was known for his lifelong commitment to fighting for democracy and improving inter-Korean peace.

Elected in a 2007 by-election, Kim Hong-up served as a member of the 17th National Assembly, and after his father's death, he led the establishment of the Kim Dae-jung Foundation and served as the chair of Kim Dae-jung Peace Center.

Kim is survived by his wife and two sons.