Man, 93, on quest to become South Korea’s oldest PhD graduate 

SEOUL – At 93 years old and still chasing his dreams, Mr Kwon No-gab, the chairman of the Kim Dae-jung Foundation and adviser to the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, recently attended his first class as an English Literature doctoral student.

He said he aims to complete his dissertation by the time he turns 95 in two years’ time, an ambitious goal for any doctoral candidate.

The record for the oldest South Korean to earn a PhD is held by Dr Lee Sang-suk, who obtained the degree at the age of 92 earlier in 2023.

The subject of Mr Kwon’s dissertation has already been set: the man who was a giant in South Korean politics, a democracy fighter, the architect of the “Sunshine Policy” toward North Korea, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and his dear mentor, comrade, “family” and lifelong idol – the late President Kim Dae-jung.

“My goal is to devote myself to President Kim until the very end. Without him, I never would have lived (my) life like this, to be commended with a human rights award, to be celebrated in front of people in the United States,” said Mr Kwon in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.

In 2023’s Korea, as well as among aspiring political leaders worldwide, there are valuable lessons to be learnt from the life of the late leader, he continued, adding that he hopes his doctoral research can contribute to disseminating Mr Kim’s ideas.

Sporting a polished look with neatly combed-back hair and a perfectly fitted suit, Mr Kwon commands the room when he speaks, leading the conversation like a politician or chief executive officer at the prime of his career.

“Retired? No, I’ve never retired. My day is just as busy as usual,” he quipped, in response to a question about how long he has been in retirement.

“I work out three times a week, (and) go to school twice a week. I get up at 7.30 in the morning and I go to bed at midnight. And I watch all the news,” said Mr Kwon, who has been in politics for the bulk of his career.

At Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, he shares a classroom with students young enough to be his grandchildren – many considerably younger.

“It is fun,” he said, although there is a lot to read. He drinks coffee and stays up late to prepare for class.

English has long been his passion, although the path of his life never truly allowed him to pursue it as much as he wished. It may be this unfulfilled desire that kept him coming back to English later in life, he said.

In 2013, at the age of 83, he earned a master’s degree in English Literature from the same university, and had briefly enrolled in a doctorate course at Dongguk University, where he had completed his undergraduate studies more than half a century ago.

In his formative years, Mr Kwon wished to be a boxing champion.

He trained, sacrificing his school grades, with his eyes set on representing the recently liberated country at the 1948 Summer Olympics in London. He won the provincial round in the national player selection process, but ultimately failed to secure a spot in the Olympic squad.

Besides his athletic pursuits, English held a special place in his heart.

“First I started studying out of curiosity, but I soon realised that English would become a global language. Whether I went into business or other things in society, I had to study English. That’s when I began,” he said.

He has since kept close tabs on international affairs through English media, he said, including The Korea Herald that was established in 1953 as The Korean Republic.

English skills proved invaluable during the early part of his life. He secured a job as an interpreter at a US base in Busan during the 1950 to 1953 Korean War. Following the war, he transitioned to teaching English at a high school in Mokpo, South Jeolla province.

When the boxing craze swept through South Korea, marked by the emergence of world boxing champions from the country, he turned his attention to a business venture aimed at assisting local boxers in securing international matches and agents.

“Being one of the few in the industry with English skills, I wanted to be a promoter,” he recalled.

But his life took a significant turn when Mr Kim Dae-jung, who by that time had already established himself as a rival to military dictator Park Chung-hee, reached out to him.

“(Mr Kim) told me, ‘Park Chung-hee is trying to get rid of me ahead of the presidential election. I need your help.’” And that was enough.

Instead of promoting boxing, Mr Kwon became the right-hand man to then lawmaker Kim, the man he had admired ever since they first met in Mokpo.

Mr Kim was four years his senior in school, and while he left an impression on Mr Kwon during their school years, their first real encounter came a few years later.

One day, several high school students were embroiled in a huge fight, one that escalated to involve weapons at one point, he recalled.

The head of the local police and fire department arrived at the scene, accompanied by a young man, a humble employee at a local company.

The man jumped onto the roof of the police car and gave a little speech, saying that violence was not the way, and that he would step up to solve this issue.

“That’s when I realised that (he) was the man I would always look up to,” Mr Kwon said.

Speaking to The Herald in the office that the late Mr Kim used before his death in 2009, Mr Kwon spoke at length about the man who had profoundly transformed his life.

When asked to describe his relationship with Mr Kim, he likened it to a family bond.

At his wedding, with his parents already dead, the Kim couple filled in for them. In fact, it was Mr Kim’s late wife, Madam Lee Hee-ho, who first introduced him to his wife, Mr Kwon said.

Mr Kwon plans to have Mr Kim’s work translated to English while preparing for the paper, which he says will help spread his ideas and accomplishments across the world.

“Kim had a clear philosophy in politics. On the base of it all was the respect and love he had for people,” he said.

The importance of communication was also what he learned from watching his mentor at close range.

“(Mr Kim) would always talk to foreign press, discuss things and get new ideas.

“I don’t see a lot of politicians today studying. They should meet up with prestigious scholars in each field for discussions. This would allow them to come up with a blueprint as to what they would do if they are elected,” he said, which could be applied to people in general.

Mr Kwon lamented the lack of communication that leads to conflict rampant across South Korea, from political to gender-based to inter-generational.

“People shouldn’t just lock horns... They should each compromise a little and find the middle ground,” he said, adding that studying Mr Kim’s philosophy from his works or the letters he sent in prison could help.

“(Mr Kim) was a man who always worked hard to find the solution. If (other people’s ideas) were opposed to him, he would negotiate and compromise,” Mr Kwon said.

In his opinion, this is what many of the politicians and people of South Korea today could learn from Mr Kim.

“Rather than to just push ahead with one’s ideas and opinions, they should listen to others. You can’t compromise if you insist on always having your way,” he said.

Mr Kwon himself has had a lengthy and illustrious career as a politician, including multiple parliamentary seats, a position of chief of staff to the party leader and other various posts in the liberal bloc.

But he says his biggest contribution was helping former president Kim.

“I’m thankful that he turned my life around completely. On my tombstone, I would like the words ‘Kim Dae-jung’s Chief of Staff’ to be engraved.” THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK