Roh Tae-woo

**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'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.

## Infobox (korean name)

- **title**: Korean name
- **tablewidth**: 265
- **color**: lavender
- **hangul**: 노태우
- **hanja**: 盧泰愚
- **rr**: No Tae-u
- **mr**: No T'aeu
- **hangulho**: 용당
- **hanjaho**: 庸堂
- **rrho**: Yongdang
- **mrho**: Yongdang
- **child**: yes


## Infobox (president)

- **honorific-prefix**: Excellency, His Excellency
- **name**: Roh Tae-woo
- **native name**:

- **native name lang**: ko
- **image**: Roh Tae-woo - cropped, 1989-Mar-13.jpg
- **office**: 6th President of South Korea
- **caption**: Roh in February 1988
- **primeminister**: Lee Hyun Jae
Kang Young Hoon
Ro Jai-bong
Shin Hyon Hwak
Chung Won Shik
Hyun Soong-jong
- **term start**: 25 February 1988
- **term end**: 24 February 1993
- **predecessor**: Chun Doo-hwan
- **successor**: Kim Young-sam
- **office1**: President of the Democratic Liberal Party (South Korea), Democratic Liberal Party
- **term start1**: 9 May 1990
- **term end1**: 28 August 1992
- **predecessor1**: _Position established_
- **successor1**: Kim Young-sam
- **office2**: President of the Democratic Justice Party
- **term start2**: 5 August 1987
- **term end2**: 2 February 1990

- **predecessor2**: Chun Doo-hwan
- **successor2**: _Position abolished_
- **office3**: President of the Organising Committee for the Olympic Games, President of the Seoul Olympic Organizing Committee
- **term start3**: 11 July 1983
- **term end3**: 7 May 1986
- **predecessor3**: Kim Yong-shik
- **successor3**: Park Seh-jik
- **leader3**: Juan Antonio Samaranch
- **office4**: Ministry of the Interior and Safety (South Korea), Minister of Home Affairs
- **term start4**: 28 April 1982
- **term end4**: 6 July 1983
- **president4**: Chun Doo-hwan
- **predecessor4**: Suh Jong-hwa
- **successor4**: Chu Yong-bok
- **office5**: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Minister of Sports
- **term start5**: 20 March 1982
- **term end5**: 28 April 1982
- **president5**: Chun Doo-hwan
- **predecessor5**: _Position established_
- **successor5**: Lee Won-kyong
- **birth place**: Dalseong County, Tatsujō-gun, Daegu, Taikyū, Keishōhoku-dō, Chōsen
(now Dong-gu (Daegu), Dong-gu, Daegu, Gyeongsangbuk-do, North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea)
- **death place**: Seoul, South Korea
- **nationality**: South Korean
- **party**: Independent politician, Independent
- **otherparty**: Democratic Justice Party, Democratic Justice (1980–1990)
New Korea Party, Democratic Liberal (1990–1992)
- **children**: Roh Soh-yeong (daughter)
Roh Jae-heon (son)
- **alma mater**: Korea Military Academy <small>(Bachelor of Science, B.S.)</small>
- **blank1**: Religion
- **data1**: Buddhism → Protestantism
- **signature**: Roh Tae-Woo signature.svg
- **rank**: General
- **serviceyears**: 1950–1981
- **battles**: Korean War
Vietnam War
- **commands**: 9th Infantry Division (Republic of Korea), 9th Infantry Division, Capital Defense Command, Defense Security Command