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Park Chung-hee (November 14, 1917 – October 26, 1979) was former ROK Army general and the president of the Republic of Korea from 1961 to 1979. He has been credited with the modernization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth and developmental dictatorship. He was named one of the top 100 Asians of the Century by Time Magazine (1999). Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... The President is head of state of South Korea. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, initially named the Revolutionary Committee, was a group of Korean officials. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Yun Bo-seon (August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was the President of South Korea from 1960 to 1962. ... Choi Kyu-ha (July 16, 1919-) was President of South Korea between 1979 and 1980. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... Gumi is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. ... Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang) is a province in eastern South Korea. ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Seoul   is the capital of South Korea and is located on the Han River in the countrys northwest. ... The Grand National Party is a conservative, right-wing political party in South Korea. ... Jamo redirects here. ... It has been suggested that Sino-Korean be merged into this article or section. ... The Revised Romanization of Korean (Korean: 국어의 로마자 표기법; 國語의 로마字 表記法) is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. ... McCune-Reischauer romanization is one of the two most widely used Korean language romanization systems, along with the Revised Romanization of Korean, which replaced (a modified) McCune-Reischauer as the official romanization system in South Korea in 2000. ... November 14 is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 47 days remaining. ... Year 1917 (MCMXVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 13-day slower Julian calendar (see: 1917 Julian calendar). ... October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... The President is head of state of South Korea. ... Export-oriented Industrialization is a trade and economic policy aiming to speed-up the industrialization process of a country through exporting goods for which the nation has a comparative advantage. ... Development has meaning in several contexts: // Biological development or morphogenesis of embryos in the context of developmental biology Child development (in the context of physical development, or post-natal human development (pediatrics, etc); or in the context of psychological development, part of the larger area of human development (psychology) or... Forms of government Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A dictatorship is an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by a dictator. ... (Clockwise from upper left) Time magazine covers from May 7, 1945; July 25, 1969; December 31, 1999; September 14, 2001; and April 21, 2003. ...

Birth

Park was born in Seonsan, a small town in Gumi-si, Gyeongsangbuk-do near Daegu. He was the seventh child from a family of modest means. His father was Park Seong-bin (age 46 at the time) and his mother was Baek Nam-hee (age 45). ^[1] Seonsan, or Seonsan-eup, is an eup or large village in Gumi City, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. ... Gumi is a city in Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea. ... Gyeongsangbuk-do (North Gyeongsang) is a province in eastern South Korea. ... Daegu, also spelled Taegu, officially called Daegu Metropolitan City, is the 4th largest city in South Korea after Seoul, Busan, and Incheon. ...

Park came from an undistinguished local branch of Goryeong Bak descent group. ^[2]

Park won admission to Daegu Teacher's College through a competitive examination. He entered on April 8, 1932 and graduated on March 25, 1937, after five years of study. His formative years coincided with the Japanese invasion of China, starting with the Manchurian incident in 1931 and culminating in all-out war in 1937. April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will take you to a full 1932 calendar). ... March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... Year 1937 (MCMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

He went on to teach for several years in Mungyeong, where the school has been preserved as a museum. Mungyeong (syllables: Mun-gyeong) is a city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. ...

Military career

Park won admission to a two-year training program in Manchukuo, the Japanese puppet state in Manchuria. Under the Japanese policy of sōshi-kaimei, he adopted the Japanese-style name Masao Takaki(高木正雄).^[3] He graduated from the Japanese Manchurian military academy at the top of his class in 1944. He then was selected for another two years of training at the Imperial Military Academy in Tokyo. Manchukuo (1932–1945), Manchu country, was a former state in Manchuria and eastern Inner Mongolia created by former Qing Dynasty officials and Imperial Japan in 1932. ... Sōshi-kaimei was a policy created by Jiro Minami, Governor-General of Korea under the Empire of Japan, implemented upon Japanese subjects from Korea (referred to below as Koreans). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Post World War II

In the aftermath of Japan's defeat in World War II, under his communist elder brother's influence, Park joined a communist group, the South Korean Workers' Party, in the American occupation zone, which later became South Korea. Park was involved in a rebellion in Yeosu and Suncheon, Jeollanam-do, led by units of the new American-supported army. Park was arrested and sentenced to life in prison, but released soon after revealing names of communist participants to the South Korean authorities. He was then released and left the army in dishonor. However; the outbreak of the Korean War enabled him to be reinstated, and he served the new nation fighting against the communists. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Suncheon (Suncheon-si) is a city in South Jeolla (Jeollanam-do) Province, South Korea. ... Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla) is a province in the southwest of South Korea. ...

Ascension to presidency

Syngman Rhee, the first president of Republic of Korea, was forced out of office on April 26, 1960 as an aftermath of the April 19 Movement, a student-led uprising. A new government took office on August 13. This was a short-lived period of parliamentary rule in Republic of Korea with a figurehead president, Yoon Po-son, in response to the authoritarian excesses and corruption of the Rhee administration. Real power rested with Prime Minister Chang Myon. Syngman Rhee or Lee Seungman (March 26, 1875 – July 19, 1965) was the first president of South Korea. ... April 26 is the 116th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (117th in leap years). ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... This article or section contains information that has not been verified and thus might not be reliable. ... August 13 is the 225th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (226th in leap years), with 140 days remaining. ... Yun Bo-seon (August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was the President of South Korea from 1960 to 1962. ...

Yoon and Chang did not command the respect of the majority of the Democratic Party. They could not agree on the composition of the cabinet and Chang attempted to hold the tenuous coalition together by reshuffling cabinet positions three times within five months.

Political background

Meanwhile, the new government was caught between an economy that was suffering from a decade of mismanagement and corruption by the Rhee presidency and the students who had led to Rhee's ouster. The students were regularly filling the streets, making numerous and wide-ranging demands for political and economic reforms. Law and order could not be maintained because the police, long an instrument of the Rhee government, were demoralized and had been completely discredited by the public. Continued factional wrangling caused the public to turn away from the party.

Coup d'état

Seizing the moment, then-Major General Park Chung-hee led a bloodless military coup (called the 5.16 Revolution) on May 16, 1961, a coup largely welcomed by a general populace exhausted by political chaos. Although Chang resisted the coup efforts, President Yun sided with the junta and persuaded the United States Eighth Army and the commanders of various South Korean army units not to interfere with the new rulers. May 16 is the 136th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (137th in leap years). ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ...

The Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) was created on June 19, 1961 to prevent a countercoup and to suppress all potential enemies domestic and international. It was to have not only investigative power, but also the power to arrest and detain anyone suspected of wrongdoing or harboring antijunta sentiments. The KCIA extended its power to economic and foreign affairs under its first director, Colonel (retired) Kim Jong-pil, a relative of Park and one of the original planners of the coup. The Agency for National Security Planning (also referred to as ANSP or KCIA) is the chief intelligence bureau of the Republic of Korea. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... 1961 (MCMLXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1961 calendar). ... Kim Jong-pil is a South Korean politician and founder of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (the KCIA, now the National Intelligence Service), who served as Prime Minister twice, from 1971-1975 and from 1998-2000. ...

Yoon remained in office to provide legitimacy to the regime, but resigned on March 22, 1962. Park Chung-hee was the real power as chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction. Following pressure from the Kennedy administration in the United States, a civilian government was restored, with Park narrowly winning the 1963 election as the candidate of the newly-created Democratic Republican Party over Yun, candidate of the Civil Rule Party. He was re-elected in 1967, again defeating Yun by a narrow margin. March 22 is the 81st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (82nd in leap years). ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, initially named the Revolutionary Committee, was a group of Korean officials. ... John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also referred to as John F. Kennedy, JFK, John Kennedy or Jack Kennedy, was the 35th president of the United States. ... The Grand National Party is a conservative, right-wing political party in South Korea. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ...

First two terms as president

Economic reform

President Park Chung-hee at a SEATO convention he is visible as the third person from the left.

Park is generally credited as playing a pivotal role in the development of South Korea's economy by shifting its focus to export-oriented industrialization. When he came to power in 1961, South Korean per capita income was only USD 72, and North Korea was regarded as the greater economic and military power on the peninsula because North Korea was industrialized under the Japanese regime due to its geographical proximity to Manchuria and merit in terms of natural resources. During Park's tenure, per capita income increased twentyfold, and South Korea's rural, undeveloped economy was transformed into an industrial powerhouse. Even Kim Dae-jung, one of Park's most prominent opponents during his rule, has retrospectively praised him for his role in creating the modern-day South Korea. [1] Image File history File links SEATOledere. ... Image File history File links SEATOledere. ... External links kamouflage. ... Export-oriented Industrialization is a trade and economic policy aiming to speed-up the industrialization process of a country through exporting goods for which the nation has a comparative advantage. ... The per capita income for a group of people may be defined as their total personal income, divided by the total population. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory[1], the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... Manchuria (Manchu: Manju; Traditional Chinese: 滿洲; Simplified Chinese: 满洲; pinyin: Mǎnzhōu, Russian: ) is a vast territorial region in northeast Asia. ... Kim Dae-jung (born December 3, 1925) is a South Korean politician. ...

The strength of Park's leadership was evidenced by the remarkable development of industries and rise in the standard of living of average South Korean citizens during his presidency. Many still question Park's judgment, however, as his 1965 normalization of diplomatic relations with Japan had been extremely unpopular and resulted in widespread unrest as memories from Japan's 35-year brutal colonization of Korea proved vivid. However, by normalizing relations with Japan, Park allowed Japanese capital to flow into the country. These aids and loans -- although criticized by many Koreans to be too meager for the 35 years of occupation by Imperial Japan -- along with American aid, helped to restore the depleted capital of South Korea. Nonetheless, it must be noted that with North Korea's economy at the time being bigger and more vibrant than that of South Korea, Park did not have many options or much time to negotiate for more fitting reparations and apologies. This issue still plagues Japan and South Korea's relationship today.

Park was reelected in 1967 against Yun.

Creation of agencies to oversee economic development

• The Economic Planning Board (EPB)
• The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI)
• The Ministry of Finance (MoF)

Yusin Constitution

The Constitution of 1963 barred a South Korean president from seeking a third consecutive term. However, with the assistance of the KCIA, Park's allies in the legislature succeeded in amending the Constitution to allow the current president--himself--to run for three consecutive terms. In 1971, Park was victorious again, this time over Kim Dae-jung in the general election.

Just after being sworn in for his third term, Park declared a state of emergency "based on the dangerous realities of the international situation." In October 1972, he dissolved Parliament and suspended the Constitution. In December, a new constitution, the Yusin Constitution, was approved in a heavily rigged plebiscite. The new document dramatically increased Park's power. It transferred the election of the president to an electoral college, the National Conference for Unification. The presidential term was increased to six years, with no limits on reelection. In effect, the constitution converted Park's presidency into a legal dictatorship. Park was re-elected in 1972 and 1978 with no opposition. Look up October in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Fourth Republic of South Korea. ... An electoral college is a set of electors who are empowered as a deliberative body to elect a candidate to a particular office. ...

Assassination attempts

The Blue House Raid

On January 21, 1968, a 31-man detachment from the North Korean 124th Army Unit who had been secretly sent to South Korea to kill Park came close to succeeding. They had crossed the DMZ on January 17, and had spent two days infiltrating towards Seoul before being spotted by four South Korean civilians out cutting wood. After spending several hours trying to indoctrinate the civilians about the benefits of communism, the North Korean infiltrators let the civilians free with a stern warning not to notify the police. However, the South Korean civilians went to the police that very night and the local police chief promptly notified his chain of command, which reacted promptly in accord with Presidential Instruction #18. January 21 is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday. ...

The infiltrators entered Seoul in two- and three-man cells on January 20 and noticed the increased security measures that had been implemented throughout the city. Realizing their original plan had little chance of success, the team leader improvised a new plan. Changing into ROK Army uniforms of the local 26th Infantry Division, complete with the correct unit insignia, which they had brought with them, they formed up and prepared to march the last mile to the Blue House, posing as ROK Army soldiers returning from a counter guerrilla patrol. The unit marched toward the Blue House, passing several National Police and ROK Army units en route. Approximately 800 meters from the Blue House, a police contingent finally halted the unit and began to question the unit. The nervous North Koreans fumbled their replies, and when one suspicious policeman drew his pistol, a commando shot him. A melee then ensued in which two infiltrators died. The rest of the North Koreans scattered and began racing for the DMZ.

For the next several days, South Korean and American soldiers and police cooperated in a massive manhunt. Three infiltrators were pursued and killed in the Seoul area, while 25 others were eventually hunted down and killed in various firefights, with one infiltrator being captured. Only two of the thirty-one North Koreans could not be accounted for. During the course of this assassination attempt, South Korean casualties totaled sixty-eight killed and sixty-six wounded - mainly army and police but also about two dozen hapless civilians. Three Americans also died and three fell wounded in attempts to block the escaping infiltrators.^[4]

Second Attempt

On August 15, 1974, President Park Chung Hee, was delivering a speech during a ceremony to celebrate the nation's deliverance from Japanese colonial domination 29 years before, when North Korean agent Mun Se-gwang fired a gun at Park from the front row. The bullets missed the president (who finished his speech), but a stray bullet struck his wife Yuk Young-soo, who died later in the day. August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea (DPRK; Korean: Chosŏn Minjujuŭi Inmin Konghwaguk; Hangul: 조선민주주의인민공화국; Hanja: 朝鮮民主主義人民共和國), is a country in eastern Asia...

Assassination

On October 26, 1979, Park was gunned down by Kim Jae-kyu, the director of the KCIA. Kim claimed that Park was an obstacle to democracy and that his act was one of patriotism. After Kim shot the president to death and the leader of his guards, his agents quickly killed four more of the presidential bodyguards before the group was apprehended. The entire episode is usually either considered a spontaneous act of passion by an individual and that the actions of the other agents only occurred because the men felt loyalty to Kim and naturally followed his lead, or as part of a pre-arranged attempted coup by the intelligence service, [2]with the latter being more widely believed. October 26 is the 299th day of the year (300th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 66 days remaining. ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Kim Jae-kyu (March 6, 1926–May 24, 1980) was a South Korean military and intelligence officer. ...

The events surrounding Park's assassination inspired the 2005 black comedy "Geuddae geusaramdeul" (English title: "The President's Last Bang") by Korean director Im Sang-soo.

Legacy

It is alleged by supporters that despite his dictatorial rule and the high growth that occurred during his years in power, Park did not engage in corruption and led a simple life. Detractors allege he was simply a brutal dictator and only brought about high growth through military control over labour.

Being a complex man as a policy maker, many Koreans continue to hold Park in high regard in great part due to the industrial and economic growth experienced by South Korea under his presidency. But there are also many on the left who condemn Park for the brutality of his dictatorship and for his service to the Japanese army during World War II. Today, Park's critics deplore the widespread human rights abuses in South Korea during his rule. One of the most notorious cases of Park's abuses was his order that a political rival, Kim Dae-jung (who became the president of the Republic of Korea in the late 1990s) be killed. Kim was captured and brought aboard a boat from which he was to be thrown onto the ocean; only a timely intervention by the American authorities saved his life. Kim Dae-jung (born December 3, 1925) is a South Korean politician. ...

In 2005, South Korean authorities released a list of "collaborators" who had worked to assist the Japanese during the occupation period (see Korea under Japanese rule). Park's name was in the list. Collaborationism, as a pejorative term, can describe the treason of cooperating with enemy forces occupying ones country. ... Korea under Japanese rule was the period of Empire of Japans de facto annexation of Korea from 1910 to 1945. ...

His daughter Park Geun-hye was elected the chairwoman of the conservative Grand National Party in 2004. She has resigned her post in order to prepare a presidential bid for the upcoming election. [3] Park Geun-hye (b. ... The Grand National Party is a conservative, right-wing political party in South Korea. ...

See also

• History of South Korea
• Realpolitik
• List of Korea-related topics

The History of South Korea traces the development of South Korea from the division of the Korean Peninsula in 1945 to the present day. ... Realpolitik (German: real (realistic, practical or actual) and Politik (politics)) is a term used to describe politics based on strictly practical rather than idealistic notions, and practiced without any sentimental illusions. // The term was coined by Ludwig August von Rochau, a German writer and politician in the 19th century, following... This is a list of Wikipedia articles on Korea-related people, places, things, and concepts. ...

External links

• BBC News' "On this day": a recollection of Park's assassination.

Yun Bo-seon (August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was the President of South Korea from 1960 to 1962. ... The President is head of state of South Korea. ... 1963 (MCMLXIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1963 calendar). ... For the song by The Smashing Pumpkins, see 1979 (song). ... Choi Kyu-ha (July 16, 1919-) was President of South Korea between 1979 and 1980. ...

	Presidents of South Korea
Provisional Government: Rhee Syng-man | Park Eunsik | Yi Sang-ryong | Hong Jin | Yi Dong-nyung | Kim Gu Republic: Rhee Syng-man | Yun Bo-seon | Park Chung-hee | Choe Kyu-hah | Chun Doo-hwan | Roh Tae-woo | Kim Young-sam | Kim Dae-jung | Roh Moo-hyun