Park Chung Hee
(1917–1979), Third president of the Republic of Korea. Park Chung Hee (Pak Chong-hui) gained political control of South Korea through a military coup on 16 May 1961. He first ruled through a military junta called the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, before winning the 1963 presidential elections (thereby establishing the Third Republic). He was reelected in 1967, 1971, 1972 (when the Fourth Republic was founded through the Yushin constitutional reforms, formulated to allow Park to remain in power), and 1978.
Park's political longevity was derived from institutional, social, and international support as well as from South Korea's economic development in the 1970s, hostilities between North and South Korea, and Cold War politics. Park was assassinated on 26 October 1979 by Kim Jae Kyu (1926–1980), an old friend of Park and at that time the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
Park was born near Taegu in North Kyongsang province in present-day South Korea. He was educated in the Manchukuo Military Academy and the Japanese Imperial Military Academy and served in the Japanese army. After World War II, Park received advanced training at the Korean Military Academy and in the U.S. Army. Rising through the ranks, Park was a major general at the time of the 1961 military coup. Park's rule was noted for his acceptance of a police state and his use of military strength, as well as economic growth.
President Park Chung Hee relaxing in May 1967 in Seoul. (BETTMANN/CORBIS)Further Reading
Eckert, Carter J., and Ki-baek Yi. (1990) Korea Old and New: A History. Seoul: Ilchogak.
Saccone, Richard. (1993) Koreans to Remember: 50 Famous People Who Helped Shape Korea. Elizabeth, NJ: Hollym.
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