Six-term lawmaker was floated as presidential contender in 1997

Active in the Democratic Mountain Club founded by Kim Young-sam in 1981

Former Interior Minister Choi Hyung-woo leaves after paying his respects at the funeral hall for late former President Kim Young-sam at Seoul National University Hospital in Yeongeon-dong, Seoul, on Nov. 23, 2015. [Newsis]
Former Interior Minister Choi Hyung-woo leaves after paying his respects at the funeral hall for late former President Kim Young-sam at Seoul National University Hospital in Yeongeon-dong, Seoul, on Nov. 23, 2015. [Newsis]

Choi Hyung-woo, a former interior minister and one of the closest confidants of late President Kim Young-sam, died Saturday. He was 91.

Choi died at 3:30 a.m. Saturday at the Central Veterans Hospital, according to Yonhap.

Born in Ulsan in 1935, Choi graduated from Busan Technical High School and went on to study political science and diplomacy at Dongguk University, where he served as student representative during the April 19 Revolution of 1960.

After serving as secretary-general of the April 19–June 3 Pan-Youth Association in 1968, Choi entered politics in 1971 when he won a National Assembly seat representing the Ulsan-Ulju constituency on the New Democratic Party ticket in the 8th general election. He went on to serve five more terms — in the 9th, 10th, 13th, 14th and 15th sessions — for six terms total.

The new military government stripped him of his seat in 1980, and the military's Defense Security Command took him in for interrogation and torture on multiple occasions. He joined the Democratic Mountain Club, founded by Kim Young-sam in 1981, and in 1985 became secretary-general of the Council for the Promotion of Democracy, dedicating himself to the pro-democracy movement.

After serving as vice chairman of the New Democratic Party and as senior vice chairman and floor whip of the Democratic Party, Choi joined the Democratic Liberal Party formed after the three-party merger in 1990 and served as minister of political affairs.

Following Kim Young-sam's election as president, Choi served as secretary-general of the Democratic Liberal Party and later as interior minister. He was mentioned as a potential presidential contender in 1997, but suffered a stroke and spent many years battling illness.

He is survived by his wife, Won Young-il, and four children — Choi Seok-gyun, Choi Je-wan, Choi Eun-ji and Choi Eun-sil. The funeral will be held under the auspices of the Korea Constitutional Assembly Association, the April 19 Revolution Merit Association and the Council for the Promotion of Democracy.

The funeral hall is located at Room 20 of Samsung Medical Center in Seoul. The funeral procession will depart at 8 a.m. Tuesday, and he will be interred at the National April 19 Democratic Cemetery.


joze@heraldcorp.com