Korea at the Crossroads: The Birth of the Fourth Republic

Abstract

T HE YEAR I972 is a critical divide in 25-year old republican history of Korea, perhaps comparable in its significance to Korea's liberation in I945 from Japanese colonial rule, establishment of two independent Koreas in i948 and outbreak of Korean War in i950, student uprisings in i960 which caused overthrow of Syngman Rhee government, and military coup in i96i which toppled Yun Po-son and Chang Myon government of Second Republic. In 1972 North and South Korea commenced official discussions looking toward unification across 38th parallel which has separated two since I948. Since Korean War in particular, separation of two has almost been complete and demarcation line between them has been thought of as the tightest boundary in world.' As late as early i972, before publication of North-South Joint Communique, two Koreas, as compared with two Germanys, were regarded as lightyears away in terms of level of contact and degree of accommodation.2 I972 is also year South Korea's Fourth Republic was born through a coup in office, following a well staged scenario, without firing a single shot and without a single change in personnel of existing power structure of Third Republic, created in I963 with General Park Chunghee, junta leader of i96i coup, as president. The circumstances that brought about birth of Fourth Republic are very different from those surrounding establishment of ThirdY A surprise assault led to whole transition. The opposition was flabbergasted and silenced before it could mount any resistance. Press censorship was stringently applied and only in foreign press was opposition aired in public.4 The new