Roh Tae-woo

President of South Korea from 1988 to 1993 · South Korea · Politicians · Lived 1932 to 2021 · aged 88

Roh Tae-woo is read about 1,016 times a day, in 53 languages.

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South Korea's first directly elected president under democratic rule - and later a convicted participant in the military coup and massacre that preceded his own reforms.

Politicians Politician Politics South Korea Asia 20th Century

A life in dates

2021Died26 October 20211991“I emphasized that authoritarianism . . . should be removed and that we should renovate both the system and the way of thinking that then prevailed.”In their words23 June 1991Interview with the Los Angeles Times (23 June 1991)Read the whole statement

“I am aware of the recent discussions about creating a nuclear-free zone in the Korean peninsula.”In their words23 June 1991Interview with the Los Angeles Times (23 June 1991)Read the whole statement

“North Korea’s recent decision to go along with South Korea in joining the United Nations separately means a change in North Korea’s policy toward the South remains to be seen.”In their words23 June 1991Interview with the Los Angeles Times (23 June 1991)Read the whole statement

1987“The military was the last resort to contain social and political chaos. It would have been very dangerous if the military had faltered . . . .”In their words13 November 1987"South Korean Candidate Roh Tae Woo Scrutinized On Role In 1979 Coup" in The Washington Post (13 November 1987)Read the whole statement

“I did not desire to become a politician or a presidential candidate. I think it is my fate, shaped by the conditions of an era.”In their words13 November 1987"South Korean Candidate Roh Tae Woo Scrutinized On Role In 1979 Coup" in The Washington Post (13 November 1987)Read the whole statement

“The people strongly demand an end to the authoritarian system.”In their words15 September 1987"Man In The News; A Traveler From Seoul: Roh Tae Woo" in The New York Times (15 September 1987)Read the whole statement

1932Born4 December 1932

Also in Deutsch

Photos 8

Roh Tae-woo - cropped, 1989-Mar-13

Roh Tae-woo - cropped, 1989-Mar-13 (cropped)

Roh Tae-woo March 1989 (3x4)

Roh Tae-woo 1989-03-13 (headshot)

Roh Tae-woo 1989-03-13

Roh Tae-woo, 1951

Diplomatic gifts at the Royal Regalia Museum 06

Kiichi Miyazawa and Roh Tae-woo 199201

In their own words 7

Roh Tae-woo

7 statements, newest first

I emphasized that authoritarianism . . . should be removed and that we should renovate both the system and the way of thinking that then prevailed.
Jun 23, 1991, Interview with the Los Angeles Times (23 June 1991), Own words
I am aware of the recent discussions about creating a nuclear-free zone in the Korean peninsula.
Jun 23, 1991, Interview with the Los Angeles Times (23 June 1991), Own words
North Korea’s recent decision to go along with South Korea in joining the United Nations separately means a change in North Korea’s policy toward the South remains to be seen.
Jun 23, 1991, Interview with the Los Angeles Times (23 June 1991), Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George

Grand Order of Mugunghwa

Order of the Crown of the Realm

Family

Roh Tae-woo

Partners

Spouse Kim Ok-sook

Children

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About this person

Born in Daegu on 4 December 1932, Roh Tae-woo attended the Korea Military Academy with Chun Doo-hwan, fought in Vietnam, and by 1979 commanded the White Horse Division as a major general. That December he played a key role in the military coup that brought Chun to power, then supported the violent crackdown of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980. When Chun handpicked him as presidential candidate in June 1987, mass pro-democracy rallies erupted across the country; Roh responded with the June 29 Declaration, promising direct elections and sweeping reforms. He won in December with a plurality and took office 25 February 1988, presiding over the Seoul Olympics, pursuing Nordpolitik to open ties with the Soviet Union and China, and overseeing the two Koreas' simultaneous admission to the UN in 1991. In 1996 he and Chun were convicted for corruption, the coup, and the Gwangju massacre; Roh drew seventeen years, pardoned the next year. He died 26 October 2021, at 88.

Country

South Korea

Politicians from South Korea 6

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