October Yushin
Encyclopedia
October Yushin 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.
, 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.
was replaced in 1972 by the Fourth Republic of South Korea
under Park Chung-hee.
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.
. 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
.
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).
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
.
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.
Self-coup
A self-coup or autocoup is a form of coup d'état that occurs when a country's leader, who has come to power through legal means, dissolves or renders powerless the national legislature and assumes extraordinary powers not granted under normal circumstances. Other measures taken may include...
by Park Chung–Hee
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
in which Park, who was already president of South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, assumed essentially dictatorial powers.
July 4th North–South Joint Declaration
On May 4th 1972, the director of Korea Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA)National Intelligence Service (South Korea)
The National Intelligence Service is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korea Central Intelligence Agency , during the rule of President Park Chung-hee's military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the...
, Lee Hu-rak
Lee Hu-rak
Lee Hu-rak was the Director of the Korea Central Intelligence Agency of South Korea from 1970 to 1973. In 1972, during his time as Director of the KCIA, he traveled to Pyongyang on a secret diplomatic mission and met face-to-face with Kim Il-Sung...
went to North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
and met Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung was a Korean communist politician who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Prime Minister from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to his death...
. They announced North-South Joint Declaration with the three principles of the reunification
Korean reunification
Korean reunification refers to the hypothetical future reunification of North Korea and South Korea under a single government...
. After the declaration, the direct phone cable was installed between Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
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 KoreaThird Republic of South Korea
The Third Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from 1963 to 1972. It was presented as a return to civilian rule after a period of rule by the military junta known as the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction which had overthrown the Second Republic of South Korea in 1961...
was replaced in 1972 by the Fourth Republic of South Korea
Fourth Republic of South Korea
The Fourth Republic was the government of South Korea between 1972 and 1981, regulated by the Yushin Constitution adopted in October 1972 and confirmed in a referendum on 21 November 1972. From 1972 to 1979, power was monopolized by Park Chung Hee and his Democratic Republican Party under the...
under Park Chung-hee.
the 8th general election
The 8th general election held on May 5, 1971. Democratic Republican PartyGrand National Party
The Grand National Party is a conservative political party in South Korea. Its Korean name, Hannara, has a double meaning as "Great National" and "Korean National." The GNP holds a majority of seats in the 18th Assembly, lasting from 2008 to 2012....
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.
The national vote
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 lawMartial law
Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis— only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively , when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law...
. Universities were closed also. The Press
News media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
, the speech
Speech
Speech is the human faculty of speaking.It may also refer to:* Public speaking, the process of speaking to a group of people* Manner of articulation, how the body parts involved in making speech are manipulated...
, 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
Council of State
The Council of State is a unique governmental body in a country or subdivision thereoff, though its nature may range from the formal name for the cabinet to a non-executive advisory body surrounding a head of state. It is sometimes regarded as the equivalent of a privy council.-Modern:*Belgian...
.
The coup
The National AssemblyNational Assembly of South Korea
The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea is a 299-member unicameral legislature. The latest general elections were held on April 9, 2008. Single-member constituencies comprise 245 of the National Assembly's seats, while the remaining 54 are allocated by proportional representation...
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
Manchukuo Imperial Army
The Manchukuo Imperial Army was the armed force of the Japanese dominated puppet state of Manchukuo, serving as the land forces, along with the Manchukuo Imperial Guards...
, 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
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
Rule by decree
Rule by decree is a style of governance allowing quick, unchallenged creation of law by a single person or group, and is used primarily by dictators and absolute monarchs, although philosophers such as Giorgio Agamben have argued that it has been generalized since World War I in all modern states,...
.
Aftermath
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
People's Revolutionary Party Incident
The People's Revolutionary Party Incidents were legal cases in which the South Korean government accused individuals of socialist inclinations according to the Anti-communism Law in 1965 and National Security Law in 1975 .On December 27, 2005, the appeal to this case has been accepted and on...
, 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
National Intelligence Service (South Korea)
The National Intelligence Service is the chief intelligence agency of South Korea. The agency was officially established in 1961 as the Korea Central Intelligence Agency , during the rule of President Park Chung-hee's military Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, which displaced the...
.
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
Coup d'état of December Twelfth
The Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the "12.12 Military Insurrection" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea....
and the 5.18 Incident
Gwangju massacre
The Gwangju Democratization Movement refers to a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. During this period, citizens rose up against Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship and took control of the city...
) 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.