biography
pronunciation:
[roh tay woo]
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (1932– )
|
| biography:
| South Korean statesman and president (1988–92), born in Sinyong, Kyongsan, SE South Korea. He studied at the Korean Military Academy (1951–5), became commanding general of the Capital Security Command in 1979, and helped General Chun seize power in the coup of 1979–80. Retiring from the army in 1981, he became minister for national security and foreign affairs (1981–2), and minister for home affairs (from 1982). Elected chairman of the ruling Democratic Justice Party (1985), his political reforms helped restore democracy to the country, and he was elected president despite allegations of fraud and rigged voting. In 1996 he was found guilty of treason and corruption, and imprisoned; but released in 1997. He was noted for his attempts, largely successful, to maximize his country's relations with the rest of the world (including North Korea). |
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