Roh Tae-woo, the 13th president of South Korea and the first directly elected president credited for setting the basic guideline in inter-Korean relationship and normalizing ties with former communist states including Russia and China, died on Tuesday at the age of 88.

Roh, who suffered with chronic illness for years, was recently admitted to a hospital after his health deteriorated but failed to recover.

Roh came to power from the country’s first direct election in 1988 after he persuaded his former military comrade and general-turned president Chun Doo Hwan to accept public demand for constitutional reform amidst the height of democratization movement in 1987. The 1987 constitutional amendment had institutionalized the single term five-year presidency that remains intact.

During his governance timed with the end of the Cold War, he normalized ties with the East European bloc in 1989, Soviet Union in 1990, and China in 1992. With North Korea, the coutnry signed the first joint basic agreement for inter-Korean relationship for peacetime in 1991.

The two Koreas jointly joined the United Nations during his reign.

After retirement, Roh however joined Chun in trial and jail. He was given a 17-year sentence for treason and corruption for his role in the 1979 coup and the 1980 Gwangju army massacre of pro-democracy demonstrators. He was pardoned by his successor Kim Young-sam in 1997 after serving two years. His daughter is married to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and going through a divorce.

By Cho Jeehyun

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