Kim Dae-su

Kim Dae-su is a Lovian from Korean origin born on May 3, 1980 in Noble City. He is an artist famous for his eccentric opinions on art and beauty, often about the aestheticization of violence. Dae-su is known with the authorities for causing problems with his controversial statements and acts. Dae-su is often accused of nihilism or political extremism, though he denies that his stance on such matters could be understood by 'prejudiced or contaminated people'. Kim lives on 11 Oceana Sidestreet in Hurbanova. In addition to his artistic activities, Kim also hold a parttime job as desk clerk at The Landmark Hotel.

Kim Dae-su ate his passport out of protest against a police control. He wont be a citizen until he gets a new one on May 7.

Personal life
Dae-su grew up as the son of a Korean fisherman who came to Lovia because competition in his home town was too hard to cope with. Dae-su's parents opened up a noodle restaurant at the edge of Noble City which was fairly successful. Five years after their immigration and two years after the birth of Kim, Kim's father went missing. Dae-su's mother had to run the restaurant in her own but as the capital kept expanding, more restaurants opened. Competition was on the rise and the family's income drastically dropped. The family had to sell the business after a being unable to pay back a high-interest loan. Dae-su's mother committed suicide after loosing both her husband and the restaurant.

Kim was placed in a Hurbanovan foster home. He followed a high school education in a local arts school, where he excelled in both drama and writing. Despite being entitled to a scholarship he decided to start working on his own career. He married his high school love, the daughter of a poor mining family which secured an administrative job at the Miners Union of Lovia. Dae-su published several novels and starred in some plays but had to take a second part-time job at The Landmark Hotel to pay off his bills. Kim and his wife live in Hurbanova.

Thought and beliefs
Kim Dae-su has been marked by his childhood which was full of confrontations with poverty and violence. He beliefs that the world is incomprehensible and overwhelmingly ugly. Only by creating true beauty one can overcome what Kim dubs the ugliness of the world. True beauty inheres in order and in the combination of words and actions to achieve this order. Dae-su opposes the ideas of modern ideologies such as liberalism or socialism. Most people describe Dae-su as being rightist or conservative because of his stress on cultural tradition as source of beauty. He is on the other hand not popular with nationalists for his individualist approach of identity. He has spoken in favor of the Union of National Solidarists but deems it too contaminated by modernity.

Dae-su does not adhere any religion but does take an interest in the ideas of zen-buddhism. If asked if he believes he god Kim asks how that would matter. Believing or not believing makes according to Kim no difference to reality.

Quotes

 * The UNS is the closest thing we have to a hope, but it is too contaminated by modernity.
 * My stance on politics can not be understood by prejudiced or contaminated people.
 * The laws are made by tight-asses and therefore can only be lived up to by tight-asses.
 * Truth in itself is boring just as fiction alone is useless. Combining them is (the) art.
 * Monarchy means tradition, tradition is beauty./True beauty lies in tradition.

Troubles with the law
Kim Dae-su has no criminal record since no charges were ever pressed against him. By consequence he also never had to report before court. Dae-su is however a regular at the Hurbanova police department. He has been arrested for numerous little incidents, ranging from disturbing public order to harassment.

On May 1 Dae-su was caught mowing anti-war slogans in the Hurbanova Central Park. Some bystanders alerted the police which approached Dae-su and asked for his identity papers. They cut the cable supplying power to his mower in the process. Out of protest against what he described as 'sabotage' Kim Dae-su tried to ate his passport. Three policeman where needed to overpower him and force him into a police vehicle. Dae-su was held for only over a day, the Nova Times reported the incident. Dae-su threatens to take legal measures against the police for destroying his mower, but this is probably bluff.

On his troubles with law enforcement Dae-su stated that 'the laws are made by tight-asses and therefore can only be lived up to by tight-asses'.