President Roh Moo-Hyun’s Last Interview

In a commentary and interview, Hyung-A Kim of the School of Culture, History and Language, College of Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University backgrounds and presents President Roh Moo-Hyun’s last interview, conducted just before he committed suicide.

“President Roh Moo-Hyun’s Last Interview and the Roh Moo-Hyun Phenomenon in South Korea” discusses the “Roh Moo-hyun Phenomenon” in South Korea. It does this by linking with an interview which the late President Roh Moo-hyun had with the author in December 2008. As stated in the abstract, this “interview is unique not only because it became Roh’s last interview conducted before his suicide on May 23, 2009, but also because it provides Roh’s candid critical self-assessment on his presidency,” including his role in domestic politics and the inter-Korean relationship, and the Korea-US relationship. Roh also comments on Japan’s role in Northeast Asian regional politics. Reflecting on Roh’s rise to the presidency and then his fall, this commentary considers the Roh Phenomenon that has developed since his suicide and how this impacts current domestic politics.