Today (October 26), former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo passed away due to illness at the age of 88. According to Yonhap News Agency, Roh Tae-woo has been plagued by chronic diseases for many years, and recently was admitted to the Seoul National University Hospital for treatment due to the deterioration of his condition, but the treatment was ineffective and died.
For South Korea's president, known as the "world's most dangerous profession", surviving prison and dying at the age of 88 is also a good death. Roh Tae-woo has always called himself an "ordinary person" with a very low posture, and his inaugural speech was entitled "The Great Era of Ordinary People", but it was during this "ordinary person's" tenure that South Korea implemented democratization reforms, developed rapidly in the economy, hosted the Seoul Olympic Games, and established diplomatic relations between China and South Korea... However, after leaving office, Lu Taiyu was sentenced to life imprisonment and pardoned for accepting huge political donations.
Lo Tae-woo actively promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea and paid a state visit to China in September 1992. He loved traditional Chinese culture and said that his ancestors were from Shandong, and called himself "the descendants of Jiang Ziya", who went to Shandong to find his roots and worship the ancestors of the Lu clan. What is his story with China?
Image source: Yonhap News Agency
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="9" > a political career with ups and downs</h1>
Born in 1932 to a peasant family in Dacheng County, North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, Roh Tae-woo is known to have been given the word "Tae" and the word "fool" is taken from the meaning of "great wisdom and foolishness".
In 1951, Roh Tae-woo, who had excellent grades, enrolled in the South Korean Army Non-Commissioned Officer School, where he formed a deep friendship with Chun Doo-hwan, who was in the same housekeeping class. The story follows: Chun Doo-hwan became the 11th-12th president of South Korea, and Roh Tae-woo became the 13th president of South Korea.
On October 26, 1979, then-South Korean President Park Chung-hee was assassinated. On December 12 of the same year, Chun Doo-hwan, then commander of security in the Rok-rok National Army, staged a coup d'état in which Roh Tae-woo was Chun Doo-hwan's most powerful assistant during the coup and during Hison Doo-hwan's presidency. Although Roh Tae-woo was Chun Doo-hwan's personal successor, he issued the "June 29 Declaration", promoted South Korea's democratization reforms, "liquidated authoritarianism", and persuaded Chun Doo-hwan to express an apology statement, which led to the two turning against each other and intolerable.
On February 25, 1988, Roh Tae-woo was sworn in as South Korea's first democratically elected president. When Lu Taiyu came to power, he announced the "Northern Policy," that is, to open up diplomacy with socialist countries such as China and the Soviet Union. Taking the occasion of the 24th Summer Olympic Games, South Korea has carried out frequent contacts with socialist countries. In 1991, Lu Taiyu took the initiative to express to the Chinese side his desire to complete the establishment of diplomatic relations within his term of office. The following year, the negotiations between the two sides made a breakthrough. On August 24, 1992, China and the ROK formally signed the Communiqué on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the ROK in Beijing, opening the door to the normalization of Sino-ROK relations. A month after the establishment of diplomatic relations, from September 27 to 30, Roh Tae-woo paid a state visit to China and signed four agreements, including the China-SOUTH Korea Trade Agreement.
In terms of inter-Korean relations, Roh Tae-woo issued the "Special Declaration on Striving for National Self-Respect and Reunification and Prosperity" on July 7, 1988, which was the first soft policy toward North Korea proposed by the Rok government in resolving the ethnic issue. It formally declared that North Korea was no longer the object of hostility, but a partner on the issue of peaceful reunification.
After Lu Taiyu left office, due to political donations and other issues, he could not escape the "Blue House Curse". On April 17, 1997, the Supreme Court of South Korea upheld the second-instance judgment and sentenced Roh Tae-woo to 17 years in prison and a fine on suspicion of military rebellion and civil unrest, attempted murder of a superior, and embezzlement and bribery. On the same day, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were tried at the same time, and Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined.
On December 20, 1997, after consultations between then-South Korean President Kim Young-sam and President-elect Kim Dae-jung, it was decided to pardon Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, and on December 22, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were released from prison. Unlike Chun Doo-hwan,who delayed paying the fine, Roh Tae-woo paid the fine regularly until September 2013.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="47" > "I'm from Shandong too!" </h1>
Although roh Tae-woo's political career in South Korea has mixed evaluations, the efforts he has made to develop Sino-ROK friendship, his love for traditional Chinese culture, and his high recognition of Chinese civilization are obvious to all the people of China and South Korea.
In August 1992, Lu Tae-woo said to Li Chunting, then vice governor of Shandong Province, on a visit to South Korea: "My ancestral home is in Shandong, and my ancestor was Taigong Jiang Ziya. I'm also from Shandong! "And earnestly hope to help him find his roots and worship the ancestors of the Lu clan." Lu Taiyu's statement is based on history, he was born in jiaohe Lu clan, Lu clan originated from the Jiang surname, a branch of the Jiang surname, the lu clan ancestor is the 11th generation grandson of Jiang Taigong, settled in Lu County, Shandong. Lu Tae-woo once said that the ancestor of his family tree, Lu Shu, moved with his ancestors to Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, South Korea, a thousand years ago, and Lu Shu was once a great general during the Goryeo Dynasty, and the surname Lu was also passed down on the Korean Peninsula for many years. According to reports, there are more than 300,000 descendants of the Lu clan in Shandong today in South Korea.
The history of the Jiaohe Lu clan has long had a special affection for China, and after he took office, he actively promoted the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China, and finally visited China on September 27, 1992.
In June 2000, Lu Tae-wook and his wife Jin Yushu searched for roots in China
On June 18, 2000, after leaving office, Lu Taiyu came to Changqing, Shandong Province, to look for his roots and ancestors, and gladly wrote a pen and left a note: "Inherit the legacy of the ancestors" and delivered a warm speech. In his speech, he said, "Shandong Changqing is the land of the Lu clan, and we must often meet each other, talk about family feelings and affection, actively promote exchanges between countries where we live, and work together to promote prosperity." ”
Lu Tae-woo's son, Lu Zaixian, also went to Shandong in 2013 to worship his ancestors, and under the influence of his father, he devoted himself to the cause of Sino-Korean friendship, and is currently the chairman of the Korean East Asian Cultural Center and the co-president of the Korea "Belt and Road" Research Institute. Lu Zaixian previously said in an interview with Chinese media that China and South Korea should keep in mind the original intention of the previous generation of diplomats and establish a mutually beneficial and win-win relationship pattern from multiple perspectives such as culture. On February 18, 2020, Ambassador to the Rok Hae-ming also met with Lo Jae-hyun, who donated money on behalf of the East Asian Cultural Center to help China fight COVID-19. 2022 will mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and South Korea, and Lu Zaixian also served as the permanent chairman of the Preparatory Committee for the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and South Korea.
Today (October 26), at a regular press conference of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, a reporter from Yonhap News Agency asked whether former Roh Tae-woo of the Rok Tae-woo passed away today and completed the establishment of diplomatic relations with China during his term of office. Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that Mr. Lu Tae-woo is friendly to China and has made important contributions to promoting the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the ROK and the development of bilateral relations. China expresses its deep condolences on the passing away of Mr. Lu Taiyu and expresses its sincere condolences to his family.
Author: Luo Daijiao, Shenzhen Satellite TV direct news chief writer.