SEOUL– President Yoon Suk-yeol sent his condolences over the death of former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev on Wednesday, calling him a leader who ended the Cold War and established diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Soviet Union, a presidential official said.
Gorbachev died in Moscow at the age of 91 on Tuesday, according to news reports. The former Soviet leader had had a severe and long illness.
“President Yoon assessed in the message of condolence that the deceased was a leader who ended the Cold War era of antagonism and conflict and brought about reconciliation and peace, and a pioneer who established a firm framework for friendly and cooperative relations between South Korea and Russia through the historic establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and the Soviet Union in 1990,” the official told reporters.
Yoon also said he will long remember and defend Gorbachev’s determination, leadership, and legacy of freedom and peace.
The message was sent to Gorbachev’s daughter, Irina Virganskaya.
Source: Yonhap News Agency