Editing Roh Tae-woo (section)

===Foreign policy===
{{see also|Nordpolitik}}
He met with President [[Corazon Aquino]] for a series of talks between the [[Philippines]] and South Korea for economic, social, and cultural ties, supporting the Filipino boxer [[Leopoldo Serantes]] in the Olympics, and to discuss [[Korean reunification|unification]] talks to end North Korea's hostility after the Korean War.

During his administration, Roh's stance as President was very active in diplomacy. Successfully hosting the 24th Summer Olympics in Seoul in his first year in office was a major accomplishment, followed by his active diplomacy, including his address before the [[United Nations General Assembly]] in October 1988, his meeting with U.S. President [[George H. W. Bush]], and delivering a speech before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. He also conducted a five-nation European visit in December 1989.

On 7 July 1988, he launched an aggressive foreign policy initiative called the Northern Diplomacy, or Nordpolitik, which brought about benefits and rewards to his government. In 1989, Seoul established diplomatic relations with [[Hungary]] and [[Poland]], followed by diplomatic ties with [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]], [[Romania]], [[Czechoslovakia]], [[Bulgaria]], and [[Mongolia]] in 1990. South Korea's trade with the People's Republic of China steadily increased, reaching the $3.1 billion mark at the same time South Korea's trade with the Eastern Bloc nations and the [[Soviet Union]] increased to $800 million. Seoul and Moscow exchanged full consular general's offices in 1990. Roh's moves left North Korea more isolated and was a dramatic and historic turning point of South Korea's diplomatic goals.

On 4 June 1990, Roh met with [[Mikhail Gorbachev]], [[President of the Soviet Union]], during a visit to the United States. The meeting ended 42 years of official silence between the two countries and paved the way for improved diplomatic relations. Roh later visited the Soviet Union in 1991.