1. Lee Hoi-chang was a presidential candidate in the 15th, 16th and 17th presidential elections of South Korea.
15 Facts About Lee Hoi-chang
1. 2.
Lee Hoi-chang was born to an elite family in Seoheung, Hwanghae, but grew up in the South after his father, Lee Hoi-chang Hong-gyu, a public prosecutor, was appointed to a new post.
3.
Lee Hoi-chang served as a judge from 1960 to 1980, when he became the country's youngest-ever Supreme Court Justice at the age of 46.
4.
In 1988, Lee Hoi-chang was appointed Chairman of the National Election Commission.
5.
Lee Hoi-chang was chosen to head the Board of Audit and Inspection under President Kim Young-sam in 1993.
6.
Lee Hoi-chang's departure was attributed to a frustration with the exclusion of the office of the prime minister from policymaking, in particular concerning North Korea.
7.
In 1996, Lee Hoi-chang led the parliamentary campaign of the then-ruling New Korea Party, which merged with the United Democratic Party to become the Grand National Party in 1997.
8.
Lee Hoi-chang was elected as his party's presidential candidate for the presidential election scheduled for that same year.
9.
Lee Hoi-chang ultimately lost to Kim Dae-Jung in the midst of the Asian economic crisis.
10.
Lee Hoi-chang again campaigned to win the presidency in 2002, running against Roh Moo-hyun of the incumbent Millennium Democratic Party.
11.
On November 7,2007, Lee Hoi-chang officially announced his third campaign for the South Korean presidency as an unaligned candidate after quitting the GNP.
12.
Lee Hoi-chang has been described as a staunch conservative in the context of South Korean politics.
13.
Lee Hoi-chang's positions include anti-communism, support for free market capitalism, and a hard-line stance against North Korea.
14.
Lee Hoi-chang repeatedly criticized Kim Dae-jung's "Sunshine Policy" of engagement and detente with North Korea, and argued for the cessation of foreign aid until the North should dismantle its nuclear weapon program.
15.
Lee Hoi-chang has called for a crackdown on illegal strikes, and for the appointment of more women to government offices.