Who was Roh Tae-woo?
Q: Who was Roh Tae-woo?
A: Roh Tae-woo was the sixth President of South Korea from 1988 to 1993. He was a Korean general and politician, and a member of the Hanahoi.
Q: How did Roh become president?
A: Roh was hand-picked by former general and president Chun Doo-hwan to be his successor, which caused large pro-democracy rallies in Seoul and other cities in 1987. In response, Roh agreed to hold democratic presidential elections, making himself a candidate for the next election. The opposition split their votes between Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung (both of whom later became presidents), which made Roh the first elected president after military rule.
Q: What were some notable accomplishments during Roh's presidency?
A: During his presidency, Roh hosted the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and implemented a foreign policy known as nordpolitik.
Q: What happened after he left office?
A: After leaving office, his successor Kim Young-sam led an anti-corruption campaign that saw both him and Chun Doo-hwan on trial for bribery. They were both found guilty of treason, mutiny and corruption in August 1996; Chun was sentenced to death (later changed to life imprisonment) while Roh's 22 1/2 year jail sentence was reduced to 17 years. Both were released from prison in early 1998 after being pardoned by then President Kim Dae Jung.
Q: When did Roh die?
A:Roh died on October 26th 2021 at the age of 88 at Seoul National University Hospital in Seoul.
