Letter Sent by Kim Jiha Two Months Before 'Kim Dae-jung Abduction' Revealed... "Prepared to Die"

Reporting Domestic Trends and Emphasizing Joint Action... "Bishop Ji Ready to Die"

A letter sent by the late poet Kim Ji-ha to former President Kim Dae-jung during the Yushin era in 1973 has been revealed.

According to Yonsei University Kim Dae-jung Library on the 2nd, the letter was written by poet Kim on June 4, 1973, in the early days of the Yushin regime and delivered to former President Kim. It is understood that the delivery was made through a person presumed to be American.

A handwritten letter from poet Kim Ji-ha to former President Kim Dae-jung [Photo provided by Yonsei University Kim Dae-jung Library]

In the letter, Kim Ji-ha stated, "At the very least, I plan to initiate the first wave of mass actions around the time of the UN General Assembly this fall. I will attempt to unite various social classes as much as possible. It is necessary for your actions to be timed accordingly."

The Kim Dae-jung Library explained, "The phrase 'unification of various social classes' aligns with former President Kim's political view and democratization strategy during the pro-democracy movement, known as the 'Anti-Dictatorship Democratic Coalition Line.'"

At that time, former President Kim was communicating with politicians from the United States and Japan, striving to pressure the Yushin regime. This was two months before the so-called "Kim Dae-jung kidnapping incident" occurred.

Kim Ji-ha also wrote, "On May 20, the 'Korean Christian Declaration' was issued. It is considered the starting signal for the full-scale anti-Park movement, and soon Bishop Ji's power will join your side." He added, "Bishop Ji is prepared to die. I wish him good luck." Bishop Ji refers to Bishop Ji Hak-soon, who suffered hardships the following year in 1974 for asserting the invalidity of the Yushin Constitution.

The letter, revealed ahead of the first anniversary of Kim Ji-ha's passing on the 8th, is six pages long on 200-character manuscript paper. However, only five pages except for the fourth page were disclosed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.