Roh Tae-woo was a South Korean politician and army general who served as President of South Korea from 1988 to 1993. He was a leader of the Democratic Justice Party and was known for having passed the June 29 Declaration in 1987.
Age
Roh was born on 4 December 1932 in Daegu. He was 89 years old.
Career
During the Korean War (1950–1953), Roh joined the South Korean army as an enlisted conscript in an Artillery unit, being promoted to Sergeant Cannoneer of an M114 155 mm howitzer gun line.
In June 1987, Chun named Roh as the presidential candidate of the ruling Democratic Justice Party. This was widely perceived as handing Roh the presidency, and triggered large pro-democracy rallies in Seoul and other cities in the 1987 June Democracy Movement.
In response, Roh made a speech on 29 June promising a wide program of reforms.
Causes of Death
Roh, who ruled South Korea as president from 1988-1993, died of complications from various illnesses after his condition worsened while dealing with a degenerative disorder, Kim Yon-su, head of Seoul National University Hospital, told a news conference.