Page "History of South Korea" Paragraph 57

Relations with the North improved and a summit meeting was planned, but was postponed indefinitely with the death of Kim Il Sung.

Tensions varied between the two Koreas thereafter, with cycle of small military skirmishes and apologies.

The government also carried out substantial financial and economical reforms, joined the OECD in 1996, but met crisis with political and financial scandals.

The country also faced various catastrophes at the time ; train collision and ship sinking in 1993, Seoul's Seongsu Bridge and Sampoong Department Store collapsing in 1994.

These incidents, which claimed many lives, were a blow to the civilian government.