Kang Young-hoon facts for kids

Kang Young-Hoon (Korean: 강영훈, born May 30, 1922 – died May 10, 2016) was an important South Korean politician. He served as the 19th Prime Minister of South Korea from December 16, 1988, to December 27, 1990. This was during the time of South Korea's sixth republic.

Kang Young-Hoon started his career in the military. Later, he joined the foreign service as a diplomat. He was then elected to the National Assembly in 1987. A year later, Roh Tae-woo, who was the President, chose him to be prime minister. During his two years as prime minister, he worked to improve relations with North Korea. This was part of President Roh's "Nordpolitik" policy. After leaving the government, Kang became the president of the South Korean National Red Cross from 1991 to 1997.

Early Life and Education

Kang Young-Hoon was born in 1922 in a place called Shōjō-gun. At that time, Korea was under Japanese rule. After finishing his studies at Kenkoku University around the end of World War II, he joined the National Defense Forces. This was an early version of the Republic of Korea Army.

During the Korean War, he was a division commander. In 1952, he worked as a military diplomat at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. By 1954, he was a director for the top military leaders at the Ministry of National Defense. He also studied in the United States at the United States Army Command and General Staff College. Kang reached the rank of Lieutenant General. He finished his military career as the head of the Korean Military Academy in 1961. That same year, there was a military takeover of the government, which he did not support. He was held for a short time because of his opposition to this event.

After his release, Kang went back to America. He earned a master's degree in international relations in 1966. Then, he got his Ph.D. in political science in 1973 from the University of Southern California. While studying for his doctorate, he started a research group called the Research Institute on Korean Affairs.

Becoming a Politician

Kang Young-Hoon returned to South Korea in 1976. He became the dean of a graduate school at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. His first step into politics was in 1978. He was made the head of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security. This institute trains people for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He then served as South Korea's ambassador to the United Kingdom and Ireland from 1981 to 1984. After that, he was the ambassador to the Vatican from 1984 to 1987. In 1987, after big protests for democracy, Kang ran for election. He was elected to the 13th National Assembly as a member of the ruling Democratic Justice Party.

Serving as Prime Minister

President Roh Tae-woo chose Kang Young-Hoon to be prime minister. At the same time, President Roh changed many of his government team members. This was to show a fresh start from the previous president. Kang was chosen partly because he had opposed the military takeover in 1961. He was a moderate leader who supported the move from military rule to a civilian government.

During his time as prime minister, there were still some political protests at universities. These groups wanted to change the government. After an increase in these events in 1989, Kang offered to step down. He said he would resign if he was held responsible for how the government handled the situation.

Improving Relations with North Korea

After many months of discussions, Prime Minister Kang Young-Hoon took part in very important talks. He met with his North Korean counterpart, Prime Minister Yon Hyong-muk. These were the highest-level meetings between the two governments since 1945. The goal was to reduce tension between North and South Korea. They also hoped for a future reunification.

The first meeting happened on September 5–6, 1990, in Seoul. Both sides talked directly about their concerns. These included reducing weapons, the presence of United States troops, releasing political prisoners, and allowing visits between families. The discussions were friendly.

The prime ministers met again on October 17–18, 1990, this time in Pyongyang. This meeting ended with a visit to Kim Il-sung, North Korea's leader. At first, the talks were positive like before. But then, both sides became less friendly. They started to accuse each other of not being honest. Kang said North Korea was "doing things that cause division." North Korean representatives criticized South Korea's ideas for more trade and cultural exchanges.

Even though they didn't agree on big issues, they decided to meet again in Seoul in December. Despite the disagreements, soccer games and music concerts between the two sides did happen. The third meeting in December did not lead to an agreement on a "declaration of non-aggression." However, both sides agreed to continue talks the following February.

After Being Prime Minister

On December 27, 1990, President Roh Tae-woo replaced Kang Young-Hoon. This was part of another change in the government team. Kang had reportedly asked to retire from public life. Soon after, he went on a diplomatic trip to the Middle East. He worked to gain support for South Korea to join the United Nations.

He then served as president of the National Red Cross from 1991 to 1997. This organization played a big role in talks between North and South Korea. This was especially important when North Korea was suffering from a severe famine. In 1995, Queen Elizabeth II made him an honorary Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). This is a special award from the United Kingdom.

Kang later became the chairman of the Sejong Institute. He also chaired the Korea Committee for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Kang Young-Hoon passed away on May 10, 2016, at the age of 93. He died of natural causes at the Seoul National University Hospital. He was survived by his wife and three children.