Politics1988 – 1992

Nordpolitik

The Roh Tae-woo government expanded ties with the communist bloc, establishing relations with the Soviet Union (1990) and China (1992).

As the socialist states of Eastern Europe collapsed after the Seoul Olympics, the Roh government’s July 7 Declaration of 1988 called North Korea a partner and sought better relations with the communist bloc. Relations with Eastern European states followed from 1989, beginning with Hungary, then with the Soviet Union in September 1990 and China in August 1992.

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States and rulers at the time: South Korea · signatory — President Roh Tae-woo
Soviet Union · signatory — Leader Mikhail Gorbachev
People's Republic of China · signatory — Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping

People

Roh Tae-woo1932 – 2021
leader · 13th President (1988–1993). Announced the June 29 Declaration, became the first president directly elected under the 1987 constitution, and pursued Nordpolitik

Before and after

Earlier: 1987 Ninth Constitutional Amendment
Later: 1988 Seoul Olympics

Themes that include this event

Changing Unification Policies1948 – 2018
From “march north” to the Panmunjom Declaration — inter-Korean relations from confrontation to dialogue, through joint statements and agreements to summits (up to 2018)