Career Park Chung-hee

1 career

1.1 in manchukuo
1.2 return korea
1.3 rise power
1.4 leader of south korea

1.4.1 foreign policy

1.4.1.1 vietnam war
1.4.1.2 north korea


1.4.2 economic policy
1.4.3 west germany
1.4.4 domestic policy

career
in manchukuo

after graduating third in class of 1944, park commissioned lieutenant manchukuo imperial army, , served during final stages of world war ii aide-de-camp regimental commander. changed name again takagi masao okamoto minoru (岡本実) in order engage in intelligence activities against korean guerrillas operating in region. japanese used korean turncoats suppress korean armed resistance.

return korea

park south korean brigadier general in 1957

park returned korea after war , enrolled @ korea military academy. graduated in second class of 1946 (one of classmates kim jae-gyu, close friend , later assassin) , became officer in constabulary army under united states army military government in south korea. newly established south korean government, under leadership of syngman rhee, arrested park in november 1948 on charges led communist cell in korean constabulary. park subsequently sentenced death military court, sentence commuted rhee @ urging of several high-ranking korean military officers. while park had been member of south korean workers party, allegations concerning involvement in military cell never substantiated. nevertheless, forced out of army. while working in army unpaid civilian assistant, came across 8th class of korea military academy (graduated in 1950), among whom kim jong-pil, , particular class later serve backbone of may 16 coup. after korean war began , paik sun-yup, park returned active service major in south korean army. promoted lieutenant colonel in september 1950 , colonel in april 1951. colonel, park deputy director of army headquarters intelligence bureau in 1952 before switching artillery , commanded ii , iii artillery corps during war. time war ended in 1953, park had risen become brigadier general. after signing of korean armistice agreement, park selected six-months training @ fort sill in united states.

after returning korea, park rose rapidly in military hierarchy. head of army s artillery school , commanded 5th , 7th divisions of south korean army before promotion major general in 1958. park appointed chief of staff of first army , made head of korean 1st , 6th district command, gave him responsibility defense of seoul. in 1960, park became commander of pusan logistics command before becoming chief of operations staff of south korean army , deputy commander of second army. such, 1 of powerful , influential figures in military.

rise power

on 25 april 1960, syngman rhee, authoritarian inaugural president of south korea, forced out of office , exile following april 19 movement, student-led uprising. new democratic government took office on 13 august 1960. however, short-lived period of parliamentary rule in south korea. yun bo-seon figurehead president, real power vested in prime minister chang myon. problems arose because neither man command loyalty majority of democratic party or reach agreement on composition of cabinet. prime minister chang attempted hold tenuous coalition reshuffling cabinet positions 3 times within 5 months.

meanwhile, new government caught between economy suffering decade of mismanagement , corruption under rhee presidency , students had instigated rhee s ousting. protesters regularly filled streets making numerous , wide-ranging demands political , economic reforms. law , order not maintained because police, long instrument of rhee government, demoralized , had been discredited public. continued factional wrangling caused public turn away ruling democratic party.

against backdrop of social instability , division, major general park formed military revolutionary committee. when found out going retired within next few months, sped committee s plans. led military coup on 16 may 1961, nominally led army chief of staff chang do-yong after defection on day started. military takeover rendered powerless democratically elected government of president yun, ending second republic.

initially, new administration formed among military officers supported park. reformist military supreme council national reconstruction nominally led general chang. following chang s arrest in july 1961, park took overall control of council. coup largely welcomed general populace exhausted political chaos. although prime minister chang , united states army general carter magruder resisted coup efforts, president yun sided military , persuaded united states eighth army , commanders of various rok army units not interfere new government. after coup, park promoted lieutenant general. south korean historian hwang moon kyung described park s rule militaristic , noting right start park aimed mobilize south korean society along militaristically disciplined lines . 1 of park s first acts upon coming power campaign clean streets arresting , putting work street kids , vagrants.

the american historian carter eckert wrote historiography, including work, around park has tended ignore enormous elephant in room namely way in park sought kündaehwa (modernization) of south korean influenced distinctively militaristic way of understanding world, , degree in japanophile park influenced japanese militarism created south korean historians call developmental dictatorship . eckert called south korea under park s leadership of militarized states in entire world, writing park sought militarize south korean society in way no other south korean leader has ever attempted. in imperial japanese army, there belief bushido give japanese soldiers enough spirit make them invincible in battle, japanese regarded war matter of willpower side stronger prevaling. reflecting background man trained japanese officers, 1 of park s favorite sayings can if try park argued problems overcome sheer willpower. eckert wrote when interviewing park s closest friends, received same answer when asked them important influence on park, namely officer training japanese in manchukuo. of park s friends told eckert understand him, 1 needed understand ilbonsik sagwan kyoyuk (japanese officer training) maintained park s values of imperial japanese army officer.

on 19 june 1961, military council created korean central intelligence agency in order prevent counter-coups , suppress potential enemies, both foreign , domestic. along being given investigative powers, kcia given authority arrest , detain suspected of wrongdoing or harboring anti-government sentiments. kcia extend power economic , foreign affairs under first director, retired brigadier general kim jong-pil; relative of park , 1 of original planners of coup.

president yun remained in office, giving military regime legitimacy. after yun resigned on 24 march 1962, lt. general park, remained chairman of supreme council national reconstruction, consolidated power becoming acting president; promoted full general. park agreed restore civilian rule following pressure kennedy administration.

in 1963, elected president in own right candidate of newly created democratic republican party. appointed park myung-keun, vice leader of party chief of president s office. narrowly defeated former president yun, candidate of civil rule party, on 156,000 votes—a margin of 1.5 percent. park re-elected president in 1967, defeating yun less difficulty.

leader of south korea
foreign policy

in june 1965 park signed treaty normalizing relations japan, included payment of reparations , making of soft-loans japan, , led increased trade , investment between south korea , japan. in july 1966 south korea , united states signed status of forces agreement establishing more equal relationship between 2 countries. growing economic strength , security guarantee of united states, threat of conventional invasion north korea seemed increasingly remote. following escalation of vietnam war deployment of ground combat troops in march 1965, south korea sent capital division , 2nd marine brigade south vietnam in september 1965, followed white horse division in september 1966. throughout 1960s, park made speeches in blamed anglo-japanese alliance , british empire japan s takeover of korea.

vietnam war

park (third left) @ 1966 seato convention in philippines.

at request of united states, park sent approximately 320,000 south korean troops fight alongside united states , south vietnam during vietnam war; commitment second of united states. stated reasons maintain relations united states, prevent further advance of communism in east asia , enhance republic s international standing. in january 1965, on day when bill mandating major deployment passed national assembly (with 106 votes , 11 against), park announced time south korea wean passive position of receiving or suffering intervention, , assume proactive role of taking responsibility on major international issues.

although strengthen military alliance united states, there financial incentives south korea s participation in war. south korean military personnel paid united states federal government , salaries remitted directly south korean government. park eager send south korean troops vietnam , vigorously campaigned extend war. in return troop commitments, south korea received tens of billions of dollars in grants, loans, subsidies, technology transfers, , preferential markets, provided johnson , nixon administrations.

north korea


honoring president park chung-hee in army parade @ armed forces day on 1 october 1973.

park oversaw transitional changes between 2 koreas conflict consolidation. beginning in october 1964, north korea increased infiltration of intelligence-gatherers , propagandists south. more 30 south korean soldiers , @ least 10 civilians had been killed in clashes north korean infiltrators october 1966.

in october 1966, park ordered rok army stage retaliatory attack without seeking approval of general charles bonesteel. action, in retaliation ongoing south korean losses, caused tension between park s government , u.s. command in korea, wished avoid violations of armistice.

between 1966 , 1969 clashes escalated park s armed forces involved in firefights along korean dmz. fighting, referred second korean war, related speech given kim il-sung on 5 october 1966 in north korean leader challenged legitimacy of 1953 armistice agreement. kim stated irregular warfare succeed in way conventional warfare not because south korean military involved ever-growing vietnam war. believed park s administration undermined if armed provocation north korea directed against u.s. troops. force united states reconsider worldwide commitments. splits give north opportunity incite insurgency in south against park.

on 21 january 1968, 31-man unit 124 of north korean people s army special forces commandos attempted assassinate park , succeeded. stopped 800 metres blue house police patrol. fire fight broke out , 2 of north koreans killed or captured. in response assassination attempt, park organized unit 684, group intended assassinate kim il-sung. disbanded in 1971.

despite hostility, negotiations conducted between north , south regarding reunification. on 4 july 1972 both countries released joint statement specifying reunification must achieved internally no reliance on external forces or outside interference, process must achieved peacefully without use of military force, , parties must promote national unity united people on differences of ideological , political systems. united states department of state not happy these proposals and, following park s assassination in 1979, quietly buried.

on 15 august 1974, park delivering speech in national theater in seoul @ ceremony celebrate 29th anniversary of ending of colonial rule when man named mun se-gwang fired gun @ park front row. would-be assassin, japanese-born north korean sympathizer, missed park stray bullet struck wife yuk young-soo (who died later day) , others on stage. park continued speech dying wife carried off stage. mun hanged in seoul prison 4 months later. on first anniversary of wife s death, park wrote in diary felt though had lost in world. things became burden , lost courage , will. year has passed since then. , during year have cried alone in secret many times count.

economic policy

park willy brandt in west germany, 1964

one of park s main goals end poverty of south korea, , lift country being third world economy first world economy via etatist methods. using soviet union , 5 year plans model, park launched first 5 year plan in 1962 declaring city of ulsan special industrial development zone . chaebol of hyundai took advantage of ulsan s special status make city home of main factories.

park credited playing pivotal role in development of south korea s tiger economy shifting focus export-oriented industrialisation. when came power in 1961, south korea s per capita income us$72.00. north korea greater economic , military power on peninsula due north s history of heavy industries such power , chemical plants, , large amounts of economic, technical , financial aid received other communist bloc countries such soviet union, east germany , china.

one of park s reforms bring in 24 hour provision of electricity in 1964, major change homes , businesses provided electricity few hours every day. second 5 year plan in 1967, park founded kuro industrial park in southwestern seoul, , created state owned pohang iron , steel company provide cheap steel chaebol, founding first automobile factories , shipyards in south korea. reflecting etatist tendencies, park government rewarded chaebol met targets under 5 year plans loans on easy terms of repayment, tax cuts, easy licensing , subsidies. common late 1960s onward south koreans speak of octopus nature of chaebol began extend tentacles areas of economy. of successful chaebol lucky goldstar (lg) , samsung went japanese period while others hyundai founded shortly after end of japanese rule; go become world-famous companies. hyundai, began transport firm moving supplies u.s. army during korean war, came dominate south korean construction industry in 1960s, , in 1967 opened first car factory, building automobiles under license ford. in 1970, hyundai finished construction of seoul-pusan expressway, become 1 of busiest highways of south korea, , in 1975 produced pony, first car designed entirely own engineers. besides manufacturing automobiles , construction, hyundai moved ship-building, cement, chemicalsand electronics, becoming 1 of world s largest corporations.

a sign of grown of south korean economy in 1969 there 200, 000 television sets in operation in south korea , 1979, there 6 million television sets operating in south korea. in 1969, 6% of south korean families owned television; 1979 4 of every 5 south korean families owned tv. however, television in south korea in black , white, , color television did not come south korea until 1984. reflecting grown of tv ownership, state-owned korean broadcasting system (kbs) began produce more programing while private sector corporation mbc began operating in 1969. during yusin era, television productions subjected strict censorship example, men long hair being banned appearing on tv, soap operas become cultural phenomenon in 1970s, becoming extremely popular.

south korean industry saw remarkable development under park s leadership. government-corporate cooperation on expanding south korean exports helped lead growth of south korean companies today s giant korean conglomerates, chaebols. park created economic development agencies:

economic planning board (epb)
ministry of trade , industry (mti)
ministry of finance (mof)

the economic development of south korea continues @ cost of major sacrifices working class: government not recognize minimum wage or weekly leave, imposes periods of free work benefit , working days of duration of twelve hours. in addition, trade unions , collective labor actions prohibited.

west germany

park s economic policy highlighted south korea s relationship west germany. park had affinity germany due history of having strong leadership of bismarck , hitler, , wanted create ties west germany deal problems of increasing population growth , economic hardships , receive inflow of foreign capital domestic development. upon agreement in 1961, south korea sent labor forces germany, including more 8,000 mine workers , 10,000 nurses, continued until 1977.

domestic policy

among park s first actions upon assuming control of south korea in 1961 pass strict legislation metrifying country , banning use of traditional korean measurements li , pyeong. despite strict wording, law s enforcement spotty considered failure, government abandoning prosecution under terms 1970. in end, south korea s traditional units continued until june 2001.

after taking office second term in 1967, park promised that, in accordance 1963 constitution limited president 2 consecutive terms, step down in 1971. however, after 1967 victory, democratic republican-dominated national assembly pushed through amendment allowing incumbent president —himself— run 3 consecutive terms.

in meantime, park grew anxious of shift in policy towards communism under richard nixon s guam doctrine. entire government depended on anti-communism, , change of policy south korea s allies (including us) threatened basis of rule. park began seek options further cement hold on country. in may 1970, catholic poet kim chiha arrested supposedly violating anti-communist law poem 5 bandits, in fact had no references communism either explicitly or implicitly, instead attacked corruption under park. issue of journal sasanggye published 5 bandits shut down government. 1 of eponymous bandits of 5 bandits described general began career fighting japan in world war two, , of bandits of poem described chinilpa collaborators served japan because of greed , amorality. park recognized reference himself in 5 bandits character of general while fact of bandits have chinilpa background reference social basis of park s regime. in 1974, kim sentenced death poem, , though not executed, spent of 1970s in prison. later in 1970, park launched new village movement set out modernize countryside providing electricity , running water farmers, building paved roads, , replacing thatched roofs tin roofs (the latter said reflect personal obsession on part of park, not stand sight of thatched roofs on farmers homes, him sign of south korea s backwardness).

in 1971, park won close election against rival, kim dae-jung. declared state of emergency shortly after being sworn in based on dangerous realities of international situation . in october 1972, park dissolved legislature , suspended 1963 constitution in self-coup. work began on drafting new constitution. park had drawn inspiration self-coup ferdinand marcos, president of philippines, had orchestrated similar coup few weeks earlier.

the so-called yushin constitution approved in heavily rigged plebiscite in november 1972. meaning rejuvenation or renewal (as restoration in contexts), scholars see term s usage park alluding himself self-perpetuating , highly-autocratic leader (an imperial president ).

the new yushin constitution highly authoritarian document. transferred presidential election process electoral college, national conference unification. dramatically expanded president s powers. notably, given sweeping powers rule decree , suspend constitutional freedoms. presidential term increased 4 6 years, no limits on re-election. intents , purposes, park s presidency legal dictatorship. in elections of 1972 , 1978 re-elected unopposed. many of south korea s leading writers opposed park regime, , many of best remembered poems , novels of 1970s satirized yushin system.

in 1975, park ordered homeless people removed streets of seoul. thousands of people captured police , sent thirty-six camps. detainees used free labor authorities , subjected degrading treatment. many died under torture.

park abolished usage of hanja, or chinese character, , established hangul exclusivity in korean language in 1960s , 1970s. after “five-year hangul exclusivity plan” (한글종양오년계획) accomplished through legislative , executive means, since 1970, using hanja becomes illegal in grades of public school , in military. leads stronger national identity , less illiteracy in south korea.