Fourth Republic of South Korea
Encyclopedia
The Fourth Republic was the government of South Korea
between 1972 and 1981, regulated by the Yushin Constitution adopted in October 1972 and confirmed in a referendum on 21 November 1972. From 1972 to 1979, power was monopolized by Park Chung Hee and his Democratic Republican Party
under the highly centralized authoritarian "Yushin System". With the assassination of Park on 26 October 1979, the Republic entered a period of tumult and transition under the short-lived nominal presidency of Choi Kyu-hah, controlled under severe escalating martial law and witnessing the coup d'état of December Twelfth
, the violent unfolding of the Gwangju Democratization Movement and its armed suppression, the coup d'état of May Seventeenth
and presidency of Chun Doo-hwan
, and finally the transition to the Fifth Republic
under Chun in 1981.
, which cast doubt on South Korea's ability to count on Cold War backing from the US government. The South Korean government began to establish diplomatic relations with many countries, including Canada. In addition, the first round of Red Cross talks were held between South and North Korea. Park also announced plans for eventual reunification.
of the South Korea
n Fourth Republic, 1972–1979. The term Yushin (hangul
: 유신) in Korean
means "rejuvenation" or "renewal", but it is also the term used to translate the "restoration" component of the Japanese
明治維新, Meiji-ishin, meaning Meiji Restoration
. The significance of this allusion is in the "imperial" role which scholars have seen attached to the presidency under the Yushin Constitution, which established the presidency as a self-perpetuating and highly autocratic position in the South Korean government.
President
Park Chung-hee
won the right to run for a third term in 1971 when the National Assembly
, dominated by his Democratic Republican Party
, amended the 1963 constitution to allow the incumbent president — Park himself — to run for three terms. He won a narrow victory over opposition candidate Kim Dae-jung.
Shortly after being sworn in, Park declared a state of emergency "based on the dangerous realities of the international situation". In October 1972, he dissolved the National Assembly and suspended the Constitution. Work was then begun on a new constitution, which was approved in a referendum held on 21 November 1972 by 91.5% of the voters. This large margin of victory can be attributed to two factors: First, during the state of emergency it was illegal to oppose the government; and secondly, the Park regime intimated that voting against the constitution meant exacerbating the tensions between North and South Korea.
The Yushin Constitution was marked by the enormous powers granted to the president. He was elected for six years, with no limits on reelection. The people elected delegates to the National Conference for Unification, an electoral college that was charged with electing the president. The requirements for candidacy, however, were so stringent that only one candidate could be on the conference's ballot. Most notably, Park gained the power to appoint a large portion of the National Assembly, effectively guaranteeing a parliamentary majority. In effect, the constitution converted Park's presidency into a legal dictatorship
.
The provisions of the Yushin Constitution were greeted with widespread but ineffective protest. Park was elected without opposition in 1972 and 1978. It remained in effect until after Park's assassination
in 1979.
n history, and a portentous one for the Yushin system. Park's Prime Minister, Choi Kyu-hah, assumed power as acting President, but was almost immediately marginalized by competing factions in the military. After the declaration of martial law following Park's death, General Jeong Seung-hwa
acted as the government's chief administrator, and appointed Chun Doo-hwan
the same day to lead a Joint Investigation Headquarters. On 27 October, Chun unilaterally assumed control of the KCIA and the government intelligence apparatus. On 6 December, the National Council for Unification confirmed Choi Kyu-hah as President according to the framework of the Yushin Constitution, but six days later Chun spearheaded a military coup
, forcibly arresting and detaining General Jeong. Choi by this point had lost any meaningful authority in government, and Chun installed himself as Director of the KCIA early in 1980.
As growing social unrest came to a head in the Gwangju Democratization Movement, Chun tightened martial law and suppressed protests with troops, carrying out a further self-coup
over the course of year. Elected President by the continuing National Council for Unification, Chun progressively dismantled the institutions of the Fourth Republic, dissolving the National Assembly and establishing an emergency national security committee with himself as director. Finally, Chun promulgated a new constitution in 1981, pushing it through a referendum and thereby formally dissolving the Fourth Republic and Park's Yushin system.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
between 1972 and 1981, regulated by the Yushin Constitution adopted in October 1972 and confirmed in a referendum on 21 November 1972. From 1972 to 1979, power was monopolized by Park Chung Hee and his Democratic Republican Party
Democratic Republican Party (South Korea)
The Democratic Republican Party was a conservative, authoritarian and broadly state corporatist or fascistic political party in South Korea, ruling from its formation in 1963 to its dissolution under Chun Doo-hwan in 1980...
under the highly centralized authoritarian "Yushin System". With the assassination of Park on 26 October 1979, the Republic entered a period of tumult and transition under the short-lived nominal presidency of Choi Kyu-hah, controlled under severe escalating martial law and witnessing the coup d'état of December Twelfth
Coup d'état of December Twelfth
The Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the "12.12 Military Insurrection" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea....
, the violent unfolding of the Gwangju Democratization Movement and its armed suppression, the coup d'état of May Seventeenth
Coup d'état of May Seventeenth
Coup d'état of May Seventeenth was a military coup d'état carried out in South Korea by general Chun Doo-hwan and Hanahoe that led Coup d'état of December Twelfth....
and presidency of Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan was a ROK Army general and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. Chun was sentenced to death in 1996 for his heavy-handed response to the Gwangju Democratization Movement, but later pardoned by President Kim Young-sam with the advice of then President-elect Kim Dae-jung,...
, and finally the transition to the Fifth Republic
Fifth Republic of South Korea
The Fifth Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from 1979 to 1987, replacing the Fourth Republic of South Korea. Throughout this period, the government was controlled by Chun Doo-hwan, a military colleague of the assassinated president Park Chung-hee. This period saw extensive...
under Chun in 1981.
Economy
This period also saw continued dramatic economic growth, following the government's five-year plans. The government invested heavily in heavy industries.International relations
A variety of events in international diplomacy led the Park regime to reconsider its diplomatic position. Notable here was the normalization of US diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, which cast doubt on South Korea's ability to count on Cold War backing from the US government. The South Korean government began to establish diplomatic relations with many countries, including Canada. In addition, the first round of Red Cross talks were held between South and North Korea. Park also announced plans for eventual reunification.
Yushin Constitution
The Yushin Constitution, also spelled Yusin, was the official constitutionConstitution of the Republic of Korea
The Constitution of the Republic of Korea is its basic law. It was promulgated on July 17, 1948, and last revised in 1987.- History :...
of the South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n Fourth Republic, 1972–1979. The term Yushin (hangul
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 유신) in Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
means "rejuvenation" or "renewal", but it is also the term used to translate the "restoration" component of the Japanese
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
明治維新, Meiji-ishin, meaning Meiji Restoration
Meiji Restoration
The , also known as the Meiji Ishin, Revolution, Reform or Renewal, was a chain of events that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868...
. The significance of this allusion is in the "imperial" role which scholars have seen attached to the presidency under the Yushin Constitution, which established the presidency as a self-perpetuating and highly autocratic position in the South Korean government.
President
President of South Korea
The President of the Republic of Korea is, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, chief executive of the government, commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and the head of state of the Republic of Korea...
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
won the right to run for a third term in 1971 when the National Assembly
National Assembly of South Korea
The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is a 299-member unicameral legislature. The latest general elections were held on April 9, 2008. Single-member constituencies comprise 245 of the National Assembly's seats, while the remaining 54 are allocated by proportional representation...
, dominated by his Democratic Republican Party
Grand National Party
The Grand National Party is a conservative political party in South Korea. Its Korean name, Hannara, has a double meaning as "Great National" and "Korean National." The GNP holds a majority of seats in the 18th Assembly, lasting from 2008 to 2012....
, amended the 1963 constitution to allow the incumbent president — Park himself — to run for three terms. He won a narrow victory over opposition candidate Kim Dae-jung.
Shortly after being sworn in, Park declared a state of emergency "based on the dangerous realities of the international situation". In October 1972, he dissolved the National Assembly and suspended the Constitution. Work was then begun on a new constitution, which was approved in a referendum held on 21 November 1972 by 91.5% of the voters. This large margin of victory can be attributed to two factors: First, during the state of emergency it was illegal to oppose the government; and secondly, the Park regime intimated that voting against the constitution meant exacerbating the tensions between North and South Korea.
The Yushin Constitution was marked by the enormous powers granted to the president. He was elected for six years, with no limits on reelection. The people elected delegates to the National Conference for Unification, an electoral college that was charged with electing the president. The requirements for candidacy, however, were so stringent that only one candidate could be on the conference's ballot. Most notably, Park gained the power to appoint a large portion of the National Assembly, effectively guaranteeing a parliamentary majority. In effect, the constitution converted Park's presidency into a legal dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
.
The provisions of the Yushin Constitution were greeted with widespread but ineffective protest. Park was elected without opposition in 1972 and 1978. It remained in effect until after Park's assassination
Park Chung-hee assassination
Park Chung-hee, president of South Korea, was assassinated by Kim Jae-kyu, his security chief as the director of Korean Central Intelligence Agency , on Friday, October 26, 1979 at 7:41pm during a dinner at a KCIA safehouse inside Blue House presidential compound in Gungjeong-dong, Seoul. It is...
in 1979.
Assassination of Park and breakdown
The assassination of Park Chung-hee on 26 October 1979 was a pivotal moment in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n history, and a portentous one for the Yushin system. Park's Prime Minister, Choi Kyu-hah, assumed power as acting President, but was almost immediately marginalized by competing factions in the military. After the declaration of martial law following Park's death, General Jeong Seung-hwa
Jeong Seung-hwa
Jeong Seung-hoa was South Korean soldier, and the 22nd ROK Army Chief of Staff. He was in Gungjeong-dong during the assassination of President Park Chung-hee....
acted as the government's chief administrator, and appointed Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan was a ROK Army general and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. Chun was sentenced to death in 1996 for his heavy-handed response to the Gwangju Democratization Movement, but later pardoned by President Kim Young-sam with the advice of then President-elect Kim Dae-jung,...
the same day to lead a Joint Investigation Headquarters. On 27 October, Chun unilaterally assumed control of the KCIA and the government intelligence apparatus. On 6 December, the National Council for Unification confirmed Choi Kyu-hah as President according to the framework of the Yushin Constitution, but six days later Chun spearheaded a military coup
Coup d'état of December Twelfth
The Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the "12.12 Military Insurrection" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea....
, forcibly arresting and detaining General Jeong. Choi by this point had lost any meaningful authority in government, and Chun installed himself as Director of the KCIA early in 1980.
As growing social unrest came to a head in the Gwangju Democratization Movement, Chun tightened martial law and suppressed protests with troops, carrying out a further self-coup
Self-coup
A self-coup or autocoup is a form of coup d'état that occurs when a country's leader, who has come to power through legal means, dissolves or renders powerless the national legislature and assumes extraordinary powers not granted under normal circumstances. Other measures taken may include...
over the course of year. Elected President by the continuing National Council for Unification, Chun progressively dismantled the institutions of the Fourth Republic, dissolving the National Assembly and establishing an emergency national security committee with himself as director. Finally, Chun promulgated a new constitution in 1981, pushing it through a referendum and thereby formally dissolving the Fourth Republic and Park's Yushin system.
See also
- History of South KoreaHistory of South KoreaThe history of South Korea formally begins with the establishment of South Korea on 15 August 1948, although Syngman Rhee had declared the establishment in Seoul on 13 August....
- History of KoreaHistory of KoreaThe Korean Peninsula was inhabited from the Lower Paleolithic about 400,000-500,000 years ago. Archeological evidence indicates that the presence of modern humans in northeast Asia dates to 39,000 years ago. The earliest known Korean pottery dates to around 8000 BC, and the Neolithic period began...
- List of Korea-related topics