Kim Dae-jung and the Quest for the Nobel

Kim Kisam, a former South Korean intelligence officer, has collaborated with Donald Kirk, journalist and author, in a study of the campaign waged by Kim Dae-jung, the former South Korean president, to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This book, relying heavily on files that Kim obtained from Korean intelligence files before seeking asylum in the US, reveals an array of resources dedicated to the quest that culminated in Kim Dae-jung's winning the prize in 2000. The book details the strategy and tactics used to win over highly placed Norwegians and Swedes as well as foreign journalists with emphasis on the misallocation of resources. Most importantly, the book shows the relentless pursuit of the prize as the motive for bringing about the inter-Korean summit of June 2000 at a cost of hundreds of millions of dollars paid to North Korea's Kim Jong-il - funds used to finance missile and nuclear programs that threaten the region and the world.

Kim Ki-sam served eight years as an officer in South Korea's National Intelligence Service before publicly disclosing the secrets of Kim Dae-jung's quest for the Nobel. A law graduate of Seoul National University, he sought and eventually won asylum in the US to escape persecution. He now practices law in the US while living near Harrisburg with his family.
Donald Kirk, a veteran correspondent for newspapers and magazines, has reported on wars Southeast Asia to the middle east. He writes about nuclear and foreign policy issues in Asia, notably on the Korean peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, and is the author of six books, including three on Korea. He divides his time between Asia and his base in Washington DC.