Roh goes down in history as ill-fated reformer

SEOUL, May 23 (Yonhap) -- Roh Moo-hyun, whose turbulent life as a political
reformer came to an end Saturday, made sweeping changes in South Korean society
over his five year term as president, challenging world superpowers and working
towards reconciliation with North Korea.
Roh, a self-made man with a distinctly down-to-earth image, was long viewed as a
maverick politician who had desperately campaigned against political regionalism,
corruption and social polarization.
While pushing for radical political reforms, Roh was impeached by the
conservative opposition party in March 2004 but was reinstated in a ruling by the
Constitutional Court two months later. Touched by his bold and persistent reform
drive, Roh's supporters fondly nicknamed him a "fool."
On the diplomatic front, Roh's push for liberal policies had culminated in the
signing of a free trade agreement with the U.S. and the historic summit talks
with North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, both in 2007.
His opponents describe him as a dangerous and unstable radical, while supporters
celebrate him as a man of principle who never sought personal comforts or the
quick route to fame.
Roh was born in 1946 to a poor peasant family living in Gimhae, South Gyeongsang
Province.
After graduating from a vocational high school in 1966, he was forced to work as
a manual laborer at construction sites in his early 20s because he could not
afford a college education.
He passed the state-administered bar examination in 1975, an almost unimaginable
feat for a man with no college background considering the extreme competitiveness
of the system, and worked as a judge for eight months before opening a private
legal practice in 1978.
Roh's pre-political career as a lawyer was focused on human rights advocacy for
student activists in South Korea. In 1981, he defended students who had been
tortured for possession of contraband literature.
After pursuing a 10-year career as a human rights advocate, Roh decided in the
late 1980s to enter politics under the endorsement of the then opposition leader
Kim Young-sam, who was later elected president.
During his first National Assembly term from 1988 to 1992, Roh created a lasting
impression in the minds of voters in televised parliamentary hearings where he
combined passionate rhetoric with persuasive arguments against former President
Chun Doo-hwan summoned to parliament over corruption charges.
In early 2000s, Roh also served as the maritime affairs and fisheries minister
under then President Kim Dae-jung.
After Roh was elected South Korean president in December 2002 with overwhelming
support from young voters and liberal activists, he embarked on policies to
overhaul corruption-ridden politics and social and economic inequalities.
Other major policy agendas pursued by the Roh government included the
establishment of Korea as a business hub in Northeast Asia, the expansion of
social welfare, the pursuit of balanced national development to benefit
underdeveloped areas, reform of the education and tax systems and
labor-management relations.
In the face of resistance from those with vested rights, however, Roh had
frequently expressed frustration. Just three months into his presidency, Roh
stunned the nation by saying, "I feel incompetent as president...I will not be
able to perform my presidential duty any longer."
Throughout his term, Roh triggered diplomatic rows by sticking to nationalist
tones in diplomacy with the U.S. and Japan, while unsuccessfully attempting to
relocate South Korean capital and form a coalition with opposition parties.
In the final years of his presidency, Roh was beleaguered by allegations of
incompetence, as his frequent indulgence in personal clashes with conservative
media, political opponents and critics sent his public approval ratings downward
to just over 10 percent.
In the latest presidential polls held in December 2007, Roh's plummeting
popularity led to the defeat of the then ruling party candidate and the victory
of the conservative candidate, Lee Myung-bak. Roh left office in February 2008.
One year and two months later, Roh again made headlines as a key figure in an
escalating bribery scandal centered around Park Yeon-cha, chairman of shoemaker
Taekwang Industry. Ironically, Roh fell victim to the incumbent government's
crackdown on corruption, finding himself dogged by allegations that he and his
family were involved in bribe-taking.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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