Rhee Syngman 李承晩 (1875-1965)

Introduction: Overview of the political history of South Korea

Rainer Dormels (University of Vienna)

The 1st Republic

1948-1960 Unstable situation 1948/49

• since 3.4.1948: Riot on Cheju-do island • 20.-27.10.1948: Riot in Yŏsu, Sunch‘ŏn and surroundings • 2.11.1948: Military rising in Taegu • 13.11.1948: Proclamation of martial law • 30.11.1948: Acceptance of the national security law • 26.6.1949: Assassination attempt on Kim Ku • 29.10.1949: Prohibition of the South Korean Labour Party and affiliated organisation

Protests against seperate elections

• Example: „massacre of Cheju-do on 3rd April 1948“ • 25.000- 30.000 islanders, i.e. one-tenth of the island‘s inhabitants were killed Outcome of the National Assembly elections on 10.5.1948

Parties Votes % Seats %

Independent 2.745.483 38,1 85 42,1

大韓獨立促成國民會 National Union 1.775.543 24,6 55 27.5 for the Taehan tongnip Promotion of ch‘oksŏng the kungminhoe Independence of Korea 韓國民主黨 Korean 916.322 12,7 29 14.5 Democratic Han‘guk Party (KDP) minjudang 大同靑年團 United 655.633 9,1 12 6.0 Youth Taedong Association ch‘ŏngnyŏndan 朝鮮民族靑年團 Korean 151.043 2,1 6 3,0 People‘s Youth Chosŏn minjok Association ch‘ŏngnyŏndan

Other 972.898 13,4 13 6,5

Total 7.216.942 100 200 100 Syngman Rhee‘s election

• On 31th Mai 1948 the National Assembly constituated and Syngman Rhee was elected first president of the Republic of Korea on 20th Juli 1948 with a majority of 180 votes. Rhee Syngman 李承晩 (1875-1965)

Rhee Syngman was a korean politician and the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960. He studied abroad in the USA and in 1919 was elected first president of the temporal government in Shanghai. Due to his close collaboration with the USA and his ambitious striving for personal power he became more and more obnoxious. The manipulated re- election in 1960 led to strong protests which afterwards caused him to flee to Hawaii where he died in 1965 at the age of 90. Outcome of the National Assembly elections on 30.5.1950

Parties Votes % Seats %

Independent 4.397.287 62,9 126 60,0

大韓國民黨 Korean 677.173 9,7 24 11,4 National Party Taehan kungmindang 民主國民黨 National 683.910 9,8 24 11,4 Democratic Minju Party kungmindang 國民會 National Union 473.153 6,8 14 6,7 Kungminhoe 大韓靑年黨 Korean Youth 227.337 3,3 10 4,8 Party Taehan ch‘ŏngnyŏndang

Other 527.980 7,5 12 5,7

Total 6.987.040 100 210 100 The course of the position of the front during the Korean War

15. Sep. 1950 26. Okt. / 25. Nov. 1950 25. Jan. 1951 Constitutional amendments

• 2.7.1952: Approval of a constitutional amendment subject to martial law conditions through the National Assembly in Pusan, which included a direct election of president and vice president among other things • 27.11.1954: Poll about constitutional amendment Topic: abolishment of restriction of only one presidential re- election which fails (135 votes) to reach the two-thirds majority by one vote. Amendment still passed on the grounds that the rule „four was to round down, five was to round up “ 四捨五入 (sasa-oip) was to be applied. The required number of votes was 135,33; but since one cannot divide a person 135 votes were seen as a quorum two-thirds majority

Outcome of the National Assembly elections on 20.5.1954

Parties Votes % Seats %

Independent 3.591.617 47,9 67 33,0

自由黨 Liberal Party 2.756.061 36,8 114 56,2 Chayudang 民主國民黨 National 593.499 7,9 15 7,4 Democratic Minju Party Kungmindang

國民會 National Union 192.109 2,6 3 1,5 Kungminhoe 大韓國民黨 Korean 72.925 1,0 3 1,5 National Party Taehan Kungmindang

Other 286.097 3,8 1 0,4

Total 7.492.308 100 203 100 Outcome of the National Assembly elections on 2.5.1958

Party Votes & Seats &

Independent 1.839.884 21,5 25 11,6

自由黨 Liberal Party 3.607.092 42,1 126 54,1 Chayudang

民主黨 Democratic 2.934.036 34,2 79 33,9 Party Minjudang

統一黨 Reunion Party 53.716 0,6 1 0,4 T‘ongildang

Other 142.029 1,6 - -

Total 8.576.757 100 233 100 Overturn of the Rhee Syngman administration • 15.3.1960: presidential and vice presidential elections. There were massive manipulations and demonstrations against those elections. • 11.4.1960: Kim Ju-yŏl, a 16-year- old demonstrator was found dead • 19.4.1960: student riot in Seoul  April revolution 1960 • Interim government under the lead of Hŏ Chŏng (許政; 1960) The 2nd Republic

1960 The 2nd Republik under the lead of prime minister Chang Myŏn (張勉; 1960-1961); president Yun Po-sŏn (尹潽善; 1960-1961) 16.5.1961: Military coup

Reason for the overthrow of the 2nd Republic • Disunity of the parties • Delayed purge of groups and persons linked to the old dictatorship • Doubts about the economic policy of the ruling party • Endangerment der public policy caused by redundancies in the police and the military • Reunion movements of students • Common lack of experience concerning democratic methods Outline of the Park Chung-hee government (1961-1979)

1. Military government (May 1961 to December 1963) 2. The 3rd Republic (December 1963 to December 1972) 3. The 4th Republic (December 1972 to October 1979) Park Chung-hee 朴正熙 (1917-1979)

• Park Chung-hee (=Pak Chŏng-hŭi) was a south korean Militär and politician. It was due to his successful economic policy during his presidential term in 1963 and 1979 that South Korea rose up to become an industrial nation. On the other hand since the seventies he has been also criticized for his dictatorial approach. Important incidents during his presidential term were the Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea, deployment of military units during the Vietnam War and the two times constitutional amendment back to the presidental system. Park was shot in 1979 by the head of his own intelligence service Kim Chae-gyu. Kim Jong-pil 金鍾泌 (1926 – )

• Kim Chong-p‘il (=Kim Chong-p‘il) studied at the Korean Military Academy and graduated in 1949 becoming an officer. He was the founder of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) and played a major role during Park Chung-hee‘s military coup who was his brother-in-law. In 1971 he was appointed prime minister and remained in this position until 1975. Under the Kim Daejung administration Kim was re-elected prime minister in 1998. In 2004 he announced his resignation from any further political engagement. 15.10.1963: presidential election

• Park Chung-hee won the election having reached 46,6% by a close vote against Yun Po- sŏn (45,1%) • In the northern provinces of Seoul, Kyŏnggi, Kangwŏn and Ch’ungch’ŏng Park remained below 41%; in Pusan, Cheju, Kyŏngsang and Chŏlla he gained over 48% of votes 26.11.1963: Outcome of the 6th NA elections • Democratic Republican Party 33,5% 110 seats (62,8%) • Party for the civilian government 20,1% 41 seats (23,4%) • Democratic Party 13,6% 13 seats (7,4%) • Liberal democratic Party 8,1% 9 seats (5,1%) • Party of the Nation 8,8% 2 seats (1,3%) • Total 175 seats (100%)

Treaty on Basic Relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea • Reasons for the revival of the korean-japanese relation: - american pressure - necessity of fund raising for the ambitious economic plans • 22.6.1965: closure of foundation agreement between Republic of Korea and Japan (hanil kibon choyak 韓日基本條約) 13.8.1965 National Assembly approves of sending military forces to Vietnam

• A total of 50.000 south korean soldiers were on duty in Vietnam. With simultaneous consideration of multiple/repeated substitution of forces around 320.000 Koreans were participating in the Vietnam War. They killed 41.000 Vietnamese while suffering a loss of around 5000 people among the own forces.

• Reasons for the south-korean participation in the Vietnam War – Act of moral reciprocity after the mission of UN-forces in the Korean War – financial consideration – struggle of South Korea with the search of an agreement concerning the deployment of milit. forces with the USA 3.5.1967: presidential elections

• Park Chung-hee (51.4%), Yun Po-sŏn (40,9%) • 1963: Park ahead of Yun in the Kyŏngsang-provinces: 6 to 4 • 1967: nearly 3 to 1 • In the Chŏlla-provinces a proportion of votes of 55 to 45 in favour of Park changed to a majority for Yun. • The outcome of the elections of 1967 shows a clear difference between East and West 14.9.1969: Adoption of a constitutional amendment 27.4.1971: presidential elections

• „No president shall be elected more than three times in a row “ (Section 3, article 69 of the 1969 constitution).  allowed Park Chung-hee a third term as president

• Park Chung-hee 53,2%, Kim Dae-jung 45,3%

25.5.1971: Outcome of the National Assembly elections • Democratic Republican Party 48,8% 113 seats (55,4%) • New Democratic Party 44,4% 89 seats (43,6%) • Other 6,8% 2 seats (1,0%) • Total 204 seats (100%) Yushin Constitution 維新憲法 (27.12.1972) • keine Direktwahl des Präsidenten mehr durch das Volk, sondern durch den neu eingeführten „Nationalrat für die Wiedervereinigung“ • 15.12.1972: Wahlen zu dem 2359 Mitglieder zählenden „Nationalrat für die Wiedervereinigung“ • 23.12.1972: Nationalrat wählte Park Chung-hee bei 2 Gegenstimmen für 6 Jahre zum Präsidenten. 27.2.1973 Outcome of the National Assembly elections

• Democratic Republican Party 38,7% 73 seats (33,3%) • New Democratic Party 32,5% 52 seats (23,7%) • Democratic Reunion Party 10,2% 2 seats (0,9%) • Independent 18,6% 19 seats (8,7%) • Yujŏnghoe 維政會 73 seats (33,3%) • Total 219 seats

Important incidents of the 4th Republic

• 8.8.1973: Kim Dae-jung abducted in Tokyo • 15.8.1974: Assassination attempt on Park Chung-hee • Emergency measures 1 and 2 as well as 9 (8.1.1974 or 11.5.1975)

12.12.1978 Outcome of the National Assembly elections

• Democratic Republican Party 31,7% 68 Sitze (29,4%) • New Democratic Party 32,8% 61 Sitze (26,4%) • Democratic Reunion Party 7,4% 3 Sitze (1,3%) • Independent 28,1% 22 Sitze (9,5%) • Yujŏnghoe 77 Sitze (33,3%) • Total 231 Sitze

• The oppositional NDP receives the majority of votes. 26.10.1979 Assassination of Park Chung- hee Transitional government and the 5th Republic

Transitional government 1979 – 1980 5th Republic 1980 – 1987 6.12.1979: Ch’oe Kyu-ha elected state president

崔圭夏 (최규하) president 1979-1980 „Spring of Seoul“ „The three Kim era“

Kim Dae-jung Kim Young-sam Kim Jong-pil 金大中 (김대중) 金泳三 (김영삼) 金鍾泌 (김종필)

12.12.1979: Chun Doo-hwan having General Chŏng Sŭng-hwa arrested

• Chun Doo-hwan Roh Tae-woo 全斗煥 (전두환) 盧泰愚 (노태우) Chun Doo-hwan 全斗煥 (1931)

• Chun Doo-hwan (=Chŏn Tu-hwan) successfully graduated in 1955 from the South Korean Military Academy he supported the military coup of Park Chung-hee as a leading demonstrator in May 1961. In December 1979 after another military coup Chun took over the state control and was elected president in 1980. He remained at this position until 1988. He gained a lot of resentment for the brutal approach he used to bring down the uprising against his regime in May of 1980 in Gwangju for which he was arrested in 1995 and sentenced to death. Though later on his sentence was communted.

18.-27.5.1980: National Uprising in Kwangju 光州

• 18.5.-21.5.: Demonstrations in Kwangju and violent repression by paramilitary forces • 22.5.-26.5. Relocated Kwangju • 27.5.1980: The military attacks Kwangju

Chun Doo-hwan elected president

• 16.8.1980: state president Ch’oe Kyu-ha resigns • 27.8.1980: Chun Doo-hwan elected president • 25.2.1981: Chun Doo-hwan‘s presidental election (for a seven year term) durch through electoral college

Kim Dae-jung

• September 1980: sentenced to death

• 1981: altered into imprisonment of 20 years

• End of 1982: Departure to the USA

• February 1985: Return to Korea Incidents 1982/83

• May 1982: scandal at the curb-loan market • 1.9. 1983: A Boing 747 of KAL (007) with 269 people on board was shot down over the Soviet Union • 9.10.1983: During a state visit of president Chun Doo-hwan in Burma 20 people, waiting for the arrival of Chun at the Aung-San-Mausoleum were killed. Chun Doo-hwan held North Korea responsible for the assault.

Nationwide demonstrations and the direct election of the president

• 10.-26.6.1987: nationwide demonstrations against the government • 29.6.1987: 8-Point-Explanation of Roh Tae-woo (demanding for direct presidential election) • October 1987: referendum about constitutional amendment • 16.12.1987: Roh Tae-woo‘s 盧泰愚 presidential election The Roh Tae-woo administration

1988 – 1993 Roh Tae-woo 盧泰愚 (1932)

• Roh Tae-woo (=No T‘ae-u) was a south korean general and politician. From 1988 to 1993 he was the 6th president. Roh and Chun Doo-hwan were close friends who knew eachother from the military academy. Thus Roh was of great help to Chun during the military coup and the uprising in Kwangju. Because of their involvement in the corruption scandal they both were sentenced to prison in 1996 but were pardoned a year later. Incidents during the Roh administration

• Worker‘s strike and salary increase of 20% in 1987/88 • The Olympic Summer Games in Seoul 1988 (17.9.- 2.10.) • The „North policy“ • 23.1.1990: Establishment of the DLP (Democratic Liberal Party) • 8.12.1992: presidential election (winner Kim Young- sam)

The Kim Young-sam administration

1993 – 1998 Kim Young-sam 金泳三 (1927)

• Kim Young-sam (=Kim Yŏng- sam) was from February 1993 to Februar 1998 president of South Korea. After 32 years South Korea finally had a civilian as head of state again. During the 1970s and 80s he and Kim Dae-jung were both leading oppositional politicians. His name is especially linked with the Asian economic crisis. Important incidents

• Military purge • since the end of 1993: The US public considers potential north korean nuklear weapons in an upcoming war on the korean peninsula • 30.3.1995: Establishment of the ULP (Kim Jong-Pil) • Imprisonment of Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo • 27.6.1995: Local and regional elections

11.4.1996: Outcome of the National Assembly elections

• New Korean Party (Kim Young-sam) 139 seats 34,5% • National Council for New Policy (Kim Dae-jung) 79 seats 25,3% • Liberal democratic Party (Kim Jong-pil) 50 seats 16,2% • Democratic Party 15 seats 11,2% • Independent 16 seats 11,9%

• Presidential election 18.12.1997 (Winner Kim Dae-jung)

The Asian economic crisis (IWF crisis) • since 14.11.1997 Korea was depending on the IWF and in December the IWF started to take control over the nation • GDP Koreas decreased in 1998 by 6,9%; after 1980 this was the second year with a downturn in economic performance since 1952 • Finance companies panicked and several companies went bankrupt • Due to massive structural reforms in the in the factories many employers were dismissed and the unemployment rate increased The Kim Dae-jung administration

1998 – 2003 Kim Dae-jung 金大中 (1925-2009)

• Kim Dae-jung was a politician and leader of the opposition for a long time. After 4 attempts he was finally elected president from 1998 to 2003. Due to his position as oppositional politicians he was repeatedly involved in trouble and danger. Kim is known for his approach policy towards North Korea, the so called „Sunshine Policy“, for which he was granted the Nobel prize in the year 2000. Kim died in August 2009. Many north korean top-ranking government representatives attended to his funeral. Incidents

• Structural reforms in the chaebol • Sunshine policy towards North Korea • World Cup 2002 Korea/Japan • in June 2002 two female korean middle school students were run over and killed by an armoured US military truck „candle demonstrations“ against the US forces • 19.12.1002: Roh Mu-hyun elected president

The Roh Moo-hyun administration

2003 – 2008 Presidential elections 19.12.2002

• Candidates: – Roh Moo-hyun (Democratic Millennium Party) – Lee Hoi-chang (Grand National Party) • Roh Moo-hyun won the elections having reached 48,91% by a close vote against Lee Hoi-chang who only got 46,59% of votes • the elections weren‘t free from regionalism, but they could be seen as an elections of generations; 59,2% of votes from young adults between 20-40 years went to Roh, whereas 60,7% of votes of people above the age of 50 went to Lee • It was also remarkable, that a politician coming from a poor background without any particular political backings was elected president

Roh Moo-hyun 盧武鉉 (1946-2009)

• Roh Moo-hyun (=No Mu-hyŏn) was the president of South Korea from 2003 to 2008. Before his political appearance in 1988 he was a lawyer for human rights. In September 1987 he was imprisoned for 3 weeks as the leader of a prodemocratic organisation . During his presidental term he continued Kim Dae Jung‘s Sunshine Policy and focused on a conciliation with North Korea and another democratization of the nation. He commited suicide in May 2009 after being accused of involvement in an ongoing bribery case. The Lee Myung-bak administration

2008-2013 Lee Myung-bak 李明博 (1941)

• Lee Myung-bak (=I Myŏng-bak) formerly known as the mayor of Seoul has been president of South Korea since February 2008. Between 1977 and 1992 he held CEO positions in six different Hyundai Corporations. Lee focuses on a better economic market-orientation while pursuing a tough stance against North Korea.