born Aug. 6, 1946, Gimhae, near Pusan, Korea [now in South Korea]
South Korean president (from 2003).
Born into a poor family, Roh did not attend college but was able to pass the bar exam in 1975 and later became a highly respected human rights lawyer. He was a member of the National Assembly (1988–92) and served in the cabinet (1998–2002) of Pres. Kim Dae Jung . Roh, who favoured negotiations with North Korea and criticized U.S. policy toward the Korean peninsula, won the 2002 presidential elections. In March 2004 Roh was impeached over charges of electoral law violations, economic mismanagement, and illegal campaign donations. Forced to temporarily step down, he was reinstated as president in May after the Constitutional Court overturned the impeachment.