Editing History of South Korea (section)

===Kim Young-sam, 1993–1998===
{{Main|Kim Young-sam}}
[[Kim Young-sam]] was elected president in the 1992 elections after Roh's tenure. He was the country's first civilian president in 30 years since 1962 and promised to build a "New Korea".<ref name="lhh ys">Lee Hyun-hee (2005, pp615-619)</ref> The government set out to address the authoritarianism of the previous administrations. Local government elections were held in 1995, and parliamentary elections followed in 1996. In response to popular demand, former presidents Chun and Roh were both indicted on charges linked to bribery, illegal funds, and, in the case of Chun, responsibility for the [[Gwangju Uprising]]. They were tried and sentenced to prison in December 1996.<ref name="lhh ys" /><ref name="ys doosan">{{in lang|ko}} [https://archive.today/20130129162614/http://100.naver.com/100.nhn?docid=409337 The administration of Kim Young Sam] at [[Doosan Encyclopedia]]</ref>

Relations with the North improved, and a summit meeting was planned but postponed indefinitely with the [[Death and state funeral of Kim Il Sung|death]] of [[Kim Il Sung]]. Tensions varied between the two Koreas after that, with cycles of small military skirmishes and apologies. The government also carried out substantial financial and economic reforms, joining the [[OECD]] in 1996, but encountered difficulties with political and financial scandals involving his son{{whose|date=December 2024}}. The country also faced a variety of catastrophes: the Gupo Station rail accident<ref>{{cite web |agency=Associated Press |title=73 Die in South Korea When Rails Collapse |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/29/world/73-die-in-south-korea-when-rails-collapse.html |website=The New York Times |date=29 March 1993}}</ref> and the [[Sinking of MV Seohae|sinking of MV ''Seohae'']] in 1993,{{citation needed|date=September 2023}} the [[Seongsu Bridge disaster]] in 1994,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Min-sik |first1=Yoon |title=[Korea History] Bridge collapse lays bare dark side of 'Han River miracle' |url=https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230726000587 |website=[[The Korea Herald]] |language=en |date=26 July 2023}}</ref> and the [[Sampoong Department Store collapse]] in 1995.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Software |first1=Dlubal |title=Shopping Center Collapse in Seoul |url=https://www.dlubal.com/en/news-and-events/news/blog/000002 |website=Dlubal |language=en |date=4 April 2022}}</ref><ref name="lhh ys" />

In 1997, the nation suffered a [[1997 Asian financial crisis|severe financial crisis]], and the government approached the [[International Monetary Fund]] for relief. Opposition leader [[Kim Dae-jung]] won the presidency that year,<ref name="lhh ys" /> a first for the country.{{citation needed|date=November 2023}}