Roh Moo-hyun

Roh Moo-hyun was a South Korean politician and lawyer who served as the ninth president of South Korea from 2003 to 2008. He was born into a poor farming family in 1946 and studied on his own to pass the bar exam in 1975. He became a human rights lawyer and defended student activists against the authoritarian regimes of Park Chung-hee and Chun Doo-hwan. He entered politics in 1988 and was elected to the National Assembly four times. He also served as the minister of maritime affairs and fisheries in 2000. He ran for the presidency in 2002 as a candidate of the Millennium Democratic Party and won a narrow victory over Lee Hoi-chang of the Grand National Party. He was the first South Korean president to be born after the end of Japanese colonial rule in Korea. As president, Roh pursued a policy of engagement and reconciliation with North Korea, holding a summit with Kim Jong-il in 2007. He also sought to balance the alliance with the United States and the relations with China and Japan. He advocated for democratic reforms, social welfare, anti-corruption, and human rights. He faced strong opposition from the conservative parties and media, who accused him of incompetence, populism, and pro-North Korean sympathies. He was impeached by the National Assembly in 2004 for violating the political neutrality of the president, but was reinstated by the Constitutional Court after two months. He also faced a series of scandals involving his aides and family members, who were accused of taking bribes and influence-peddling. He left office in 2008 with low approval ratings and was succeeded by Lee Myung-bak of the Grand National Party. In 2009, Roh was under investigation by the prosecution for allegedly receiving millions of dollars from a businessman named Park Yeon-cha. He denied the charges, but admitted that his wife had received some money from Park. He said he was sorry for disappointing the people and asked for forgiveness. On May 23, 2009, he committed suicide by jumping off a cliff behind his home in Bongha Village. He left a note on his computer that said "There are too many people suffering because of me." His death shocked the nation and sparked a wave of sympathy and grief. About four million people visited his hometown in the week following his death. He was buried in Bongha Village, where a memorial park and a foundation were established in his honor. He is remembered as a leader who fought for democracy, human rights, and peace on the Korean peninsula.