Jubilation erupted and thousands danced in the streets yesterday as veteran opposition leader and freedom-fighter, Mr Kim Dae-Jung (73), defied years of assassination attempts and imprisonment to become South Korea's new president.
"President Kim Dae-Jung," shouted some 30,000 people who streamed out of their homes, singing and dancing, for a victory rally in the southern opposition city of Kwangju. "Hurray! We won. We won!" the Kwangju citizens shouted, parading a huge banner reading: "We realised our dream for the first time in 50 years - transfer of power".
The jubiliant crowds set off firecrakers in Kwangju and outside Mr Kim's home in Seoul, waving portraits of the die-hard dissident who spent 30 years risking his life to fight military dictatorships.
The boulevard outside Kwang ju's provincial government building, the flashpoint of a bloody civil uprising in 1980 against military dictatorship, turned into an orgy of celebrations. "Some of them were weeping for joy, and others scattered beer over their shoulders," a local reporter said.
The mood went frantic after Mr Kim's camp claimed victory in the bitterly fought polls. Hundreds of supporters swarmed around his home in Seoul, as Mr Kim, head of the National Congress for New Politics, maintained a narrow lead over majority candidate Mr Lee Hoi-Chang in the official count from yesterday's election.
"He is going to work very hard for his country and his people. He has been working for 40 years for democracy. He has overcome exile and prison, and now he has won the presidency," Mr Hwang Jay-Soon, Mr Kim's special assistant, said. Mr Hwang said Mr Kim was sleeping as the country celebrated but, asked what would be done about the dire economic problems facing South Korea, he said: "I expect Dr Kim will meet Clinton and the IMF chief within a week, but if he cannot do that, then he will do it as soon as possible, probably February."
He was referring to the fact that Mr Kim will not take power until February 25th, leaving incumbent President Kim Young-Sam in power to deal with the financial maelstrom until then.
With more than 90 per cent of the vote counted, Mr Kim had 40.4 per cent and Mr Lee, of the ruling Grand National Party, had 38.6 per cent. Mr Lee tearfully conceded defeat. "I congratulate Kim Dae-Jung, who has the glory of being elected. I solemnly accept the will of the people," he said. In the tiny island of Haui where Mr Kim was born, television showed residents beating traditional gongs and drums in an orgy of celebration. Many supporters believe victory in three past elections was stolen from Mr Kim by establishment tricks and insinuations by former military rulers, including Chun Doo-Hwan.
The international human rights watchdog Amnesty International has hailed the election of former dissident Mr Kim and asked him to introduce a new era of human rights in South Korea.
"Dr Kim Dae-Jung's longstanding human rights record is a good omen for South Korea," the London-based Amnesty said, but urged him to tackle what it called the country's "acute need for human rights reforms with determination".
Amnesty also urged Kim, who spent much of the 1970s under arrest or in prison, not to let the dire economic concerns Seoul is facing "overshadow" the need for rights reforms.