Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
MILITARY RULE
Historically, Seoul never possessed an egalitarian social set-up. Social inequality continued
through the Japanese colonial period, and after the Korean War dictatorships sprang up in
the South.
The Syngman Rhee regime (1948-60) rigged its own re-election (by mass arrests of op-
position leaders and changes to the constitution) several times until 19 April 1960, when a
popular rebellion led by unarmed students sought to overthrow the president. Police opened
fire on the group, which had gathered in downtown Seoul; by dusk, nearly 200 people lay
dead. Rhee's right-hand man, Gibung Lee, committed suicide, as did his family. Rhee
resigned a few days later and was spirited away to exile in Hawaii by the US Air Force.
What came to be known as the April Revolution resulted in eight months of democracy
under a cabinet system of government led by prime minister Chang Myon. However, on 16
May 1961, the civilian government was replaced by a military junta led by Major General
Park Chung-hee. In 1963 Park was narrowly elected South Korea's president.
Park held an iron grip on power for 16 years, during which scores of political dissidents
were executed or disappeared, and he created an internal police system complete with a
Central Intelligence Agency that quelled any antigovernment or pro-North movements.
In the modernisation of Seoul, 1969 was a big year. The completion of the Hannam Bridge
kicked of the city's major expansion south of the Han River, and Namsan Tower (now N
Seoul Tower) was erected.
