October Yushin

October Yushin (시월유신 or 十月維新 ((Korean))) or the October Restoration was an October 1973 self–coup by Park Chung–Hee in which Park, who was already president of South Korea, assumed essentially dictatorial powers.

Background

July 4th North–South Joint Declaration

Kim Il-sung

On May 4th 1972, the director of Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA), Lee Hu-rak went to North Korea and met Kim Il-sung. They announced North-South Joint Declaration with the three principles of the reunification. After the declaration, the direct phone cable was installed between Seoul and Pyeongyang. The desire of the reunification was getting heated. Park pretexted it for the amendment of the constitution.

the third term of the presidency

The third term of the presidency had been prohibited by 1969. However, Park forced the National Assembly to allow it, so the new constitution that abled the third term of the presidency was proclaimed in 1969. He was re-elected in the 1971 presidential election and the Third Republic of South Korea was replaced in 1972 by the Fourth Republic of South Korea under Park Chung-hee.

the 8th general election

The 8th general election held on May 5, 1971. Democratic Republican Party took 113 seats of 204. However, it didn't qualify the minimum condition to pass a vote of a constitutional amendment. It required the concurrence of two thirds or more of the total members of the National Assembly. Therefore, Park couldn't amend the constitution with the lawful way.

Timeline

The national vote

Main article: Samseon Gaeheon

In 1969, with the amendment of the constitution, the Third Term of the Presidency became allowed for Park Chung-hee.

Declaration of a state of emergency

In October 17, 1972, Park announced a presidential special declaration. After that, Park dissolved the National Assembly, suspended the constitution and declared a martial law. Universities were closed also. The Press, the speech, and the newscast was censored under a state of emergency. Work was then begun on a new constitution, which was resolved in October 27 by the emergency State Council.

The coup

The National Assembly was dispersed and the constitution was revised by Park Chung–Hee. This paved the way for Park to take authoritarian and lifetime power without any check.

The event was named after Japan's 1868 Meiji Ishin (Meiji Restoration). Park Chung–Hee, a former officer in the Japanese–controlled Manchukuo Imperial Army, admired Japanese politics and called his self–coup Yushin (or Yusin), the Korean pronunciation of the Japanese word Ishin (Restoration).

The new administration established after the coup is now called the Yushin Regime (유신체제, 維新體制) or Yushin Dictatorship (유신독재, 維新獨裁).

Constitution of the Fourth Republic

Main article: Fourth Republic of South Korea

Under the Yushin Regime, the Constitution of the Third Republic of Korea was replaced by a new constitution, the Yushin Constitution or Constitution of the Fourth Republic.

In accordance with the Yusin Constitution, an electoral college called Tongil Juche Gungmin Hoeui (통일주체국민회의, the National Council for Unification) was set up. Tongil Juche Gungmin Hoeui became sovereign organization that elected the president and one third of Assemblymen. Besides, the regulation for the reelection was deleted, so actually the president can be reelected as many as he likes. Furthermore, the Yusin Constitution allowed the president to make 'Gingeup Jochi' (긴급조치권, Emergency Measure) which made the president be able to announce emergency that can be acted beyond the constitution. The president would have 6-year term, but he could serve consecutive terms without any limit. It practically guaranteed permanent term to Park Chung-Hee.

This constitution endowed the president with absolute power. The president could appoint one–third of the National Assembly, effectively guaranteeing him a parliamentary majority. He could also invoke Emergency Action, which allowed him to promulgate laws without ratification by the National Assembly.

Aftermath

Main article: Fourth Republic of South Korea

The Yushin Regime was soon challenged by activists from groups such as college students, artists, religious leaders, and the opposition party. Park suppressed these protests by force. In the People's Revolutionary Party Incident, eight persons were executed for treason. The only evidence, their confessions, were extracted by torture, and the executed are now generally considered to have been innocent. Nevertheless, the resistance to the Yushin Regime continued and caused serious social unrest.

The Yushin Regime was criticized internationally for human rights abuse. The American Carter Administration warned that United States military forces might be withdrawn from South Korea unless Park eased off his dictatorship.

On October 26, 1979, occurred the "10.26 Incident" — the assassination of Park Chung–hee by members of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.

Park's assassination removed the main impetus of the Yushin Regime. Although the military took power by consecutive coups (the 12.12 Coup d'état and the 5.18 Incident) after Park's death, there was a general consensus that the Yushin Constitution was no longer viable. The military junta promulgated the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, which officially replaced the Yushin Constitution in 1980. This new constitution was liberal compared to the Yushin Constitution, although it was still an authoritarian constitution.