South Korean interior minister and closest ally of President Kim Young-sam
Choi Hyung-woo was a South Korean politician and pro-democracy activist, one of the closest aides of President Kim Young-sam. He served six terms in the National Assembly and was Minister of Home Affairs in Kim’s civilian government. He died in Seoul on 24 October 2026 at the age of 91.
He was born in Ulsan in 1935 and studied at Dongguk University.
Published 24 October 2026
Choi Hyung-woo, Kim Young-sam’s closest ally and former interior minister, dies at 91
A six-term lawmaker who was tortured under military rule, he stood at Kim Young-sam's right hand through decades of the pro-democracy struggle and became home affairs minister in Korea's first civilian government.
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