Ro Jai-bong (February 8, 1936 – April 23, 2024) was a South Korean politician. He served from December 1990 to May 1991 as the 20th prime minister of South Korea.[1] Ro was born in Shōgen, Keishōnan-dō, Chōsen, Empire of Japan on February 8, 1936.[2][3]
Ro Jai-bong | |
|---|---|
노재봉 | |
| 20th Prime Minister of South Korea | |
| In office December 27, 1990 – May 24, 1991 | |
| President | Roh Tae-woo |
| Preceded by | Kang Young-hoon |
| Succeeded by | Chung Won-shik |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 8, 1936 Shōgen, Keishōnan-dō, Japanese Korea, Empire of Japan (now Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea) |
| Died | April 23, 2024 (aged 88) Seoul, South Korea |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Seoul National University (BA) Brigham Young University (MA) New York University (PhD) |
Biography
Ro graduated from Seoul National University and received a doctorate in political science from New York University. He then worked as an international political scientist before joining government as chief of staff for President Roh Tae-woo in 1990 and became prime minister shortly afterwards. In 1992, he was elected to the National Assembly of Korea.[4]
After his political career, Ro became president of Seoul Digital University from 2002 to 2005.[4]
Ro was married and had two children. He was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2023 and died from complications of the disease at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital[4] on April 23, 2024, at the age of 88.[5]