South Korean customers use ATMs at Kookmin Bank in Seoul August 26, 2004. South Korea's top financial regulator confirmed on Thursday the chief executive of Kookmin Bank, Kim Jung-tae, would be unable to seek another term due to accounting problems at the country's top lender. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won LJW/SH 

Kim Jung-tae (C), chief executive officer of Kookmin Bank speaks to the media before a lenders' meeting at the headquarters of Woori Bank in Seoul January 9, 2004. Lenders to LG Card Co, which includes Kookmin Bank, are expected to reach a final agreement on a $4.2 billion rescue plan at a meeting that began late Friday, a creditor spokesman said. REUTERS/Lee Jae-Won LJW/DL 

South Korean players (Top row L-R) Kim Nam-il, Lee Woon-jae, Hong Myung-bo, Choi Jin-cheul, Yoo Sang-chul, Ahn Jung-hwan (Bottom row L-R) Song Chong-gug, Seol Ki-hyeon, Lee Young-pyo, Park Ji-sung and Kim Tae-young pose for their team picture prior to their World Cup quarter final against [Spain.] 

South Korean players (Top row L-R) Kim Nam-il, Lee Woon-jae, Hong
Myung-bo, Choi Jin-cheul, Yoo Sang-chul, Ahn Jung-hwan (Bottom row L-R)
Song Chong-gug, Seol Ki-hyeon, Lee Young-pyo, Park Ji-sung and Kim
Tae-young pose for their team picture prior to their World Cup quarter
final against Spain. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

SP/JDP 

South Korea team players pose on the pitch ahead of a second round World Cup Finals match against [Italy] in Taejon, June 18, 2002. Players are, top row, from L-R: Yoo Sang-chul, Kim Nam-il, Ahn Jung-hwan, Choi Jin-cheul, Lee Woon-jae, Hong Myung-bo and bottom row, L-R: Kim Tae-young, Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Song Chong-gug, Seol Ki-hyeon. 

South Korea team players pose on the pitch ahead of a second round
World Cup Finals match against Italy in Taejon, June 18, 2002. Players
are, top row, from L-R: Yoo Sang-chul, Kim Nam-il, Ahn Jung-hwan, Choi
Jin-cheul, Lee Woon-jae, Hong Myung-bo and bottom row, L-R: Kim
Tae-young, Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo, Song Chong-gug, Seol Ki-hyeon.
REUTERS/Kim Kyung Hoon

JES 

South Korea's team poses before a Group D match against [Portugal] at the World Cup Finals in Inchon, June 14, 2002, (upper row, L-R) Yoo Sang Chul, Hong Myung Bo, goalie Lee Woon Jae, Ahn Jung Hwan, Choi Jin Cheul, Kim Nam Il, (bottom, L-R) Kim Tae Young, Park Ji Sung, Lee Young Pyo, Seol Ki Hyeon and Song Chong Gug. 

South Korea's team poses before a Group D match against Portugal at the
World Cup Finals in Inchon, June 14, 2002, (upper row, L-R) Yoo Sang
Chul, Hong Myung Bo, goalie Lee Woon Jae, Ahn Jung Hwan, Choi Jin
Cheul, Kim Nam Il, (bottom, L-R) Kim Tae Young, Park Ji Sung, Lee Young
Pyo, Seol Ki Hyeon and Song Chong Gug. REUTERS/Jose Manuel Ribeiro

CD/JDP 

Korean models show off the winning entry in a Volkwagen Beetle design
competition in Seoul May 12, 2002. Over 900 competitors took part in
the event and the winning entry by Kim Tae-kyu and Choi Soo-jung, which
coincidentally features a soccer World Cup theme will be sold at an
charity auction, the proceeds of which will be donated to UNICEF.
REUTERS/Jason Reed

JIR/DL 

Seven presidential hopefuls and other officials from the ruling
Millennium Democratic Party raise their hands during the first primary
election to choose a successor to President Kim Dae-jung as the party's
standard-bearer at a gathering on the southern island of Cheju March 9,
2002. The seven presidential hopefuls were taking part in the
U.S.-style primary to be held in all nine South Korean provinces,
culminating in a convention in Seoul on April 20, ahead of December
national elections. Head of the election polling committee Kim
Young-bae (4th L) and MDP chairman Han Gwang-ok (C) join, from left,
candidates Kim Joong-kwon, Noh Moo-hyun, Chung Dong-young, Kim
Geun-tae, Rhee In-je, Hahn Hwa-kap and You Jong-keun. Hahn Hwa-kap
scored the first at the first primary elections. REUTERS/Kwon Woo-sung

LJW/JD 

South Korea's Yeo Woon-Kon (C) celebrates with teammate Song Seung-Tae
(R) and Kim Jung-Chul after scoring Korea's third goal against Malaysia
during the Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur March 1, 2002. South Korea
beat Malaysia 3-2. REUTERS/Zainal Abd Halim

ZH/JD 

Chief executive of South Korea's biggest consumer bank of Kookmin, Kim
Jung-tae (R) meets with the bank's executives after his inauguratory speech
at the bank's headquarters in Seoul November 1, 2001. South Korea's top
mortgage bank H&CB merged with Kookmin on Thursday to form South Korea's
biggest bank, named Kookmin Bank, with $125 billion in assets and nearly
20,000 workers. REUTERS/Yun Suk-bong

KKW/CP 

Kim Jung-tae, the chief executive of H& CB, smiles after being named to head
a merged bank with Kookmin Bank at a news conference in Seoul July 26, 2001.
The 53-year-old financial veteran will lead the new bank, which is planned
to debut in November with $125 billion in assets and nearly 20,000 workers.

LJW/PB 

South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung (L) greets U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen at the presidential house in Seoul September 20, 2000. Cohen and South Korean Defense Minister Cho Sung-Tae will hold high-level talks on Thursday which will cover the growing inter-Korean reconciliation, the state of North Korea's military and the combined defense readiness of US and South Korean troops.

JD 

From left, South Korea's Director of the National Intelligence Service Lim Dong-won, Minister of Unification Park Jae-kyu, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Lee Joung-binn, and Minister of National Defence Cho Seong-tae talk before a meeting of the National Security Council in Seoul April 10. South Korea's Unification Ministry said on Monday that President Kim Dae-jung will meet North Korea's leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea June 12-14 for a summit of two countries who remain technically in a state of war.

LJW/PB 

U.S. Defence Secretary William Cohen, (L), answers questions during a joint press conference with South Korean National Defence Minister Cho Seong-tae in Seoul March 18. Cohen held security talks with South Korea's President Kim Dae-jung and other government leaders on Saturday at the end of a busy four-nation Asian tour.

YUN/DL 

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (L) hands appointment letter to new Prime Minister Park Tae-joon at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul January 13. Park replaced outgoing Premier Kim Jong-pil.

LJW/CC 

Park Tae-joon, founder of South Korea's Pohang Iron and Steel Co, and now president of the United Liberal Democrats (ULD), which is the junior party in the ruling coalition, answers reporters' questions at his office in Seoul January 7. South Korean President Kim Dae-jung will reportedly name Park as prime minister, replacing Prime Minister Kim Jong-pil who is due to resign and return to the ULD next week to lead it ahead of April's parliamentary elections. The ULD formed a coalition with President Kim Dae-jung's National Congress for New Politics (NCNP) party during the December 1997 presidential elections, and the prime minister's post has since been allocated to the ULD.

LJW/PB 

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (R) talks with formee president Chun Doo-hwan (L), Roh Tae-woo (2nd R) and Roh's wife Kim Ok-sook at the presidential Blue House on September 20 in Seoul. President Kim, having returned from New Zealand on Saturday after attending APEC, invited the former presidents to a lunch meeting on Monday to brief them on the sending of Korean troops to East Timor in addition to issues brought up at the APEC meeting.

YUN/PB 

South Korean Chung Duck-koo, appointed as Commerce, Industry and Energy Minister by President Kim Dae-jung May 24 in Seoul. Chung, former vice Finance and Economy Minister was promoted and replaced Park Tae-young. Picture taken Mar99.

YUN/DL 

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung replaced most of his cabinet May 24, apparently seeking to sustain the sweeping economic reform movement he inaugurated 18 months ago and prepare for parliamentary elections next year. Some of the new ministers are, clockwise from top left: Chief Presidential Secretary on Unification Affairs Lim Dong-won; Commerce, Industry & Energy Minister Chung Duck-koo; National Defence Minister Cho Sung-tae and Minister of the newly-formed Planning & Budget Ministry Jin Nyum.

LCY/DL 

South Korean Cho Sung-tae, appointed as National Defence Minister by President Kim Dae-jung on May 24 in Seoul. Cho, a former general replaced Cheon Yong-taek. Picture taken Apr99.

YUN 

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (C) listens to the Chairman of Korea Futures Exchange Lee Jong-nam, before pressing the button to launch the country's only futures exchange, April 23 in Pusan. The Korea Futures Exchange, located in the port city some 420km south of Seoul, started with 11 member firms and trades four products, including the U.S. dollar/won currency futures. Minister of Finance and Economy Lee Kyu-sung (L), President of the United Liberal Democrats Park Tae-jun (2nd R) and Kim Young-bae, acting president of the National Congress for New Politics look on.

YUN/TAN/CLH/ 

Samsung Group Chairman Lee Kun-hee (C) listens as South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (R) addresses the chairmen of the country's leading business conglomerates at the presidential Blue House in Seoul December 7. President Kim gathered the leaders of the five largest conglomerates, or chaebols, together to hear about the progress the chaebols have been making on restructuring and reforms. On Monday, it was announced Daewoo and Samsung would draw up plans to implement a swap of Samsung Motors for Daewoo Electronics. The man on the left of the photo is Park Tae-joon, the leader of Chaminryun coalition party.

PB/FY/FMS 

Daewoo Motor President Kim Tae-ku, introduces a "Lanos" passenger car to visiting Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi (R) and his entourage October 25 in Pupyung city, some 20 kilometres west of Seoul. The Ethiopia Prime Minister is scheduled to meet with President Kim Dae-jung at the Blue House reception on Monday.

YUN/SB 

South Korea's President Kim Dae-Jung ( L) and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (R) sign documents of a joint declaration at a signing ceremony at Akasaka state guesthouse in Tokyo October 8. [Obuchi isued Japan's strongest apology to date to the South Korean people for 35 years of colonial rule, having "expressed deep remorse and extended a heartfelt apology to the people of South Korea," in the joint declaration, the first written apology ever issued to an individual country by Japan for its actions before and during World War Two.] Standing in behind are (L-R): South Korean Industry and Energy Minister Park Tae-young; Foreign Minister Hong Soon-young; Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura; Agriculture Minister Shoichi Nakagawa and International Trade and Industry Minister Kaoru Yosano. 

South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung (SEATED, L) and Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi (SEATED, R) sign documents of a joint declaration at a signing ceremony at Akasaka state guesthouse in Tokyo October 8. Obuchi isued Japan's strongest apology to date to the South Korean people for 35 years of colonial rule, having "expressed deep remorse and extended a heartfelt apology to the people of South Korea," in the joint declaration, the first written apology ever issued to an individual country by Japan for its actions before and during World War Two. Standing in behind are (L-R): South Korean Industry and Energy Minister Park Tae-young; Foreign Minister Hong Soon-young; Japanese Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura; Agriculture Minister Shoichi Nakagawa and International Trade and Industry Minister Kaoru Yosano.

ES/AA 

South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (L) joins his four predecessors for an aperitif before dinner at the presidential Blue House in Seoul July 31. Chun Doo-hwan (2nd L) was president when Kim Dae-jung was sentenced to death for inciting a rebellion. Kim Young-sam (C) was president during the financial collapse of the country last year. In addition, Kim Young-sam was in power during the arrests, trials and imprisonment of both Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo (R). Choi Kyu-hah (2nd R) was an interim president between the assassination of former strongman Park Chung-hee and and the rise to power of Chun Doo-hwan.

PB/CC/FMS 

New South Korean President Kim Dae-jung (L) shakes hands with his predecessors Chun Doo-hwan (R) and Roh Tae-woo (2nd/R) during the inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul February 25. Kim has been preaching reconciliation in a country that has seen its share of bloody political violence, one of his first actions since winning the December election being asking outgoing President Kim Young-sam to pardon the former military rulers, which he did in January.

KOREA INAUGURATION 

South Korean president-elect Kim Dae-jung (C) meets with politicians Kim Jong-pil (L) and Park Tae-jun in Seoul January 21, to discuss the country's top conglomerates' restructuring and reorganisation. Kim and Park formed a coalition with Kim Dae-jung prior to the December 18 election which brought Kim to power. Both men will, in all likelyhood, receive top cabinet positions when Kim Dae-jung formally takes power on February 25.

KOREA KIM 

- FILE PHOTO SEP97 - South Korea's World Cup soccer team. (From L to R top row) Cha Bum-kun, Head Coach (blue shirt), Kim Pyung-seok, coach. Joung Soung-jin, G.K. Trainer. Yoo Sang-chul, MF. Park Kun-ha, FW. Kim Bong-soo, GK. Seo Tong-myung, GK. Jang Dae-il,DF. Choi Jin-chul,DF .Kim Do-hoon,FW. Hong Myung-bo, DF. (From L to R middle row) Kim Sang-hoon, MF. Choi Young-il, DF. Choi Yong-soo,FW. Ko Jung-woon, FW. Jang Hyung-seok,DF. Lee Ki-hyung,MF. Park Tae-ha,MF. Roh Sang-rae, MF. (From L to R front row) Seo Jung-won,FW. Ha Seok-ju, MF. Lee Min-sung,DF. Choi Mun-shik, MF. Choi Sung-yong,MF. Kim Tae-young, DF. Lee Sang-yoon, MF. 

South Korean president-elect Kim Dae-jung (R) listens as his right-hand-man Park Tae-joon makes a point prior to a luncheon with businessmen in Seoul December 24. An aide close to Kim was quoted on Wednesday as saying South Korea will lift remaining controls on capital flows with complete liberalisation of foreign exchange trade and interest rates.

KOREA 

FILE PHOTO SEP97 - South Korea's World Cup soccer team. (From L to R top row) Cha Bum-kun, Head Coach (blue shirt), Kim Pyung-seok, coach. Joung Soung-jin, G.K. Trainer. Yoo Sang-chul, MF. Park Kun-ha, FW. Kim Bong-soo, GK. Seo Tong-myung, GK. Jang Dae-il,DF. Choi Jin-chul,DF .Kim Do-hoon,FW. Hong Myung-bo, DF. (From L to R middle row) Kim Sang-hoon, MF. Choi Young-il, DF. Choi Yong-soo,FW. Ko Jung-woon, FW. Jang Hyung-seok,DF. Lee Ki-hyung,MF. Park Tae-ha,MF. Roh Sang-rae, MF. (From L to R front row) Seo Jung-won,FW. Ha Seok-ju, MF. Lee Min-sung,DF. Choi Mun-shik, MF. Choi Sung-yong,MF. Kim Tae-young, DF. Lee Sang-yoon, MF.

KOREA WORLD CUP 

South Korean opposition leaders Kim Dae-jung (2nd L) and Park Tae-joon (2nd R) discuss the assembly line at KIA Motors plant while the new KIA chairman Jin Nyum (L) listens in Kwangmyung November 12. Kim, leader of the National Congress for New Politics, and Park, leader of the United Liberal Democrats recently agreed to join forces to field Kim as the two parties' joint presidential candidate in the December 18 elections.

KOREA 

South Korea's opposition parties' presidential candidate Kim Dae-jung (C) smiles during a meeting with Kim Jong-pil (L), head of the United Liberal Democrats and Park Tae-joon another important member of the United Liberal Democrats (R) in Seoul. November 6. Kim Dae-jung on Monday became the opposition parties' joint candidate for the presidential elections to be held December 18.

KOREA ELECTIONS 

South Korea's Prosecutor-General Kim Tae-joung delivers a statement at a news conference in Seoul October 21. Kim announced an investigation of opposition leader Kim Dae-jung's suspected campaign slush funds would be delayed until at least after December's presidential elections.

KOREA SLUSH 

Kwon Roh-kap, parlimentary member of South Korea's main opposition and close associate of party leader Kim Dae-jung, attends party meeting February 5. Kwon admitted that he had received between 150 million and 160 million won ($173,000-$184,000) from Hanbo chairman Chung Tae-soo since 1993.

KOREA HANBO 

FILE PHOTO 16DEC96 - Former South Korean presidents Roh Tae-woo (L) and Chun Doo-hwan (R), dressed in prison uniforms, appear at the South Korean High Court December 16, 1996 to hear a reduction in their original sentences for mutiny, treason and bribery. South Korean president Kim Young-sam and president-elect Kim Dae-jung agreed to free tow former heads of state in an effort to unite a nation suffering a severe economic crisis.

KOREA PRESIDENTS