Nobel Causes: South Korea's Kim Can't Take His Eyes off the Prize

During last summer's Camp David peace talks, South Korean diplomats in Seoul grilled counterparts from the Middle East, calling for hourly updates, buttonholing them at embassy receptions. Why did Seoul monitor negotiations so closely? "They were afraid the talks would be successful," says a diplomat, "and KIM DAE JUNG would lose the Nobel." Many observers feel the unstated motivation driving President Kim's push for detente between the Koreas is an obsession with winning the Peace Prize, which will be announced Friday. Kim's resume has "Nobel" stamped all over it. He was jailed by military dictatorships, and assassins once tried to run...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!