Editing History of South Korea (section)

===Roh Tae-woo, 1988–1993===
{{Main|Roh Tae-woo}}
[[Roh Tae-woo]] became president for the 13th presidential term in the first direct presidential election in 16 years. Although Roh was from a military background and one of the leaders of [[coup d'état of December Twelfth|Chun's coup d'état]], the inability of the opposition leaders [[Kim Dae-jung]] and [[Kim Young-sam]] to agree on a unified candidacy led to him being elected.<ref name="lhh roh">Lee Hyun-hee (2005, pp 610–613)</ref><ref name="aks 6rep">The Academy of Korean Studies (2005, pp 210–213)</ref> The first female presidential candidate, [[Hong Sook-ja]], even withdrew from the race in order to back Kim Young-sam against Roh.<ref name="LosAngeles2">{{cite web|last1=Holley|first1=David|title=Kim Young Sam Gets Backing of Only Woman in Korea Race|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-06-mn-27127-story.html|date=6 December 1987|access-date=24 November 2016}}</ref>

Roh was officially inaugurated in February 1988. The government set out to eliminate past vestiges of authoritarian rule by revising laws and decrees to fit democratic provisions. Freedom of the press was expanded, university autonomy was recognised, and restrictions on overseas travel were lifted.<ref>Robert E. Bedeski (1994, pp 27–28)</ref> However, the growth of the economy had slowed down compared to the 1980s, resulting in stagnant exports while commodity prices kept on rising.

[[File:Fireworks at the closing ceremonies of the 1988 Summer Games.JPEG|thumb|180px|Fireworks during the closing ceremonies of the [[1988 Summer Olympics]]]]

Shortly after Roh's inauguration, the [[1988 Summer Olympics]] took place, raising South Korea's international recognition and greatly influencing foreign policy. Roh's government announced the official unification plan, ''[[Nordpolitik]]'', and established diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union, China, and countries in [[Eastern Europe]].<ref name="lhh roh" />

A historic event was held in 1990 when North Korea accepted the proposal for exchange between the two Koreas, resulting in high-level talks and cultural and sports exchanges. In 1991, a [[Joint Declaration of the Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula|joint communiqué on denuclearization]] was agreed upon, and the two Koreas simultaneously became members of the UN.<ref name="lhh roh" /><ref>Adrian Buzo (2007, p205)</ref>