A photo released by the Office of the President of Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (left) meets with U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham in Kyiv on the 10th (local time), as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues. [AFP=Yonhap News]

Lindsey Olin Graham, a U.S. Senator from South Carolina, a long-time political ally of Donald Trump, and a prominent foreign policy and national security hawk in the Republican Party, passed away suddenly on the 11th (local time) at the age of 71.

Born and raised in a blue-collar family, Graham was the first in his family to attend college, earning a bachelor's degree in psychology (1977) and a Juris Doctor (1981) from the University of South Carolina.

From 1982 to 1988, he served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the U.S. Air Force, notably serving as a military prosecutor and defense attorney in Germany. He remained in the Air Force Reserve thereafter, carrying out duties as a military lawyer during events such as the Iraq War.

After completing 33 years of military service and retiring as a Colonel, he entered politics by being elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1992. In 1994, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served for eight years representing South Carolina's 3rd congressional district.

Following his election to the U.S. Senate in 2002, he served as a Senator representing South Carolina from 2003 to 2026. During his tenure, he held positions such as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Chairman of the Budget Committee, exerting significant influence over U.S. judicial, defense, and budgetary policies.

Senator Graham was known as a leading "defense hawk" (an interventionist in foreign policy) within the Republican Party, maintaining a hardline stance against Iran and Russia while strongly supporting U.S. overseas military engagement and robust alliances, particularly with Israel.

Although he was a staunch critic of Donald Trump during the early stages of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, he transformed into one of Trump’s closest political allies and a "North Star" confidant after Trump’s election, actively defending his policies and frequently playing golf with him. It is reported that he remained active in his legislative and diplomatic duties until just before his death, including a visit to Ukraine on the 10th.

Reporter Yohi Im