Roh Tae-woo

President of South Korea from 1988 to 1993

Roh Tae-woo (4 December 1932 – 26 October 2021), was the sixth President of South Korea (1988–1993). He was a Korean general and politician. A member of the Hanahoi, Roh was the hand-picked successor of the ex-general and president Chun Doo-hwan. This caused large pro-democracy rallies in Seoul and other cities in 1987. Roh agreed to hold democratic presidential elections, making himself a candidate for the next election. The opposition split the votes between Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung (both of whom later became presidents). This made Roh the first elected president after the time that the military ruled the country.


Roh Tae-woo
노태우
盧泰愚
Roh in February 1988
6th President of South Korea
In office
25 February 1988 – 24 February 1993
Prime MinisterLee Hyun Jae
Kang Young Hoon
Ro Jai-bong
Shin Hyon Hwak
Chung Won Shik
Hyun Soong-jong
Preceded byChun Doo-hwan
Succeeded byKim Young-sam
President of the Democratic Liberal Party
In office
9 May 1990 – 28 August 1992
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byKim Young-sam
President of the Democratic Justice Party
In office
5 August 1987 – 2 February 1990
Acting: 10 July 1987 – 5 August 1987
Preceded byChun Doo-hwan
Succeeded byPosition abolished
President of the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee
In office
11 July 1983 – 7 May 1986
LeaderJuan Antonio Samaranch
Preceded byKim Yong-shik
Succeeded byPark Seh-jik
Minister of Home Affairs
In office
28 April 1982 – 6 July 1983
PresidentChun Doo-hwan
Preceded bySuh Jong-hwa
Succeeded byChu Yong-bok
Minister of Sports
In office
20 March 1982 – 28 April 1982
PresidentChun Doo-hwan
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byLee Won-kyong
Personal details
Born(1932-12-04)4 December 1932[a]
Tatsujō-gun, Taikyū, Keishōhoku-dō, Chōsen
(now Dong-gu, Daegu, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea)
Died26 October 2021(2021-10-26) (aged 88)
Seoul, South Korea
NationalitySouth Korean
Political partyIndependent
Other political
affiliations
Democratic Justice (1980–1990)
Democratic Liberal (1990–1992)
Spouse(s)
Kim Ok-suk (m. 1959)
ChildrenRoh Soh-yeong (daughter)
Roh Jae-heon (son)
Alma materKorea Military Academy (B.S.)
ReligionBuddhismProtestantism[2]
Signature
Military service
Allegiance South Korea
Branch/service Republic of Korea Army
Years of service1950–1981
RankGeneral
Commands9th Infantry Division, Capital Defense Command, Defense Security Command
Battles/warsKorean War
Vietnam War
Korean name
Hangul
노태우
Hanja
盧泰愚
Revised RomanizationNo Tae-u
McCune–ReischauerNo T'aeu
Pen name
Hangul
용당
Hanja
庸堂
Revised RomanizationYongdang
McCune–ReischauerYongdang

Roh's rule was notable for hosting the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and for his foreign policy of nordpolitik.

In 1993, Roh's successor Kim Young-sam led an anti-corruption campaign that saw Roh and Chun Doo-hwan on trial for bribery. The two former presidents were later charged with mutiny and treason for their part in the 1979 coup and the 1980 Gwangju Riot.

Both were found to be guilty in August 1996 of treason, mutiny and corruption. Chun was sentenced to death, later changed to life imprisonment. Roh's 22 1/2-year jail sentence was reduced to 17 years. Both were released from prison in early 1998, pardoned by then-President Kim Dae-jung.

Roh died on October 26, 2021, at the Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul at the age of 88.[3]

Notes change

  1. At least one source[1] says that Roh was born on 17 August 1932, making his age at death 89.

References change

  1. "노태우 전 대통령 '별세' 향년 89세···굴곡진 생애". SE Daily. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  2. ‘불교신자’ 노태우 전 대통령, 기독교인 됐다… 노소영씨가 밝히는 아버지의 신앙 국민일보 2012년 7월 11일자
  3. Cha, Sangmi; Smith, Josh (26 October 2021). "South Korea's former president Roh Tae-woo dies at 88 - hospital". Reuters. Archived from the original on 26 October 2021.
Preceded by
Chun Doo-hwan
President of South Korea
1988-1993
Succeeded by
Kim Young-sam