Albert L. Park

Claremont McKenna College

Right vs Left in Colonial Korea (1910-1945)

Suppression of society in wartime period (1937-1945)

Committee for the Preparation of Korean Independence

38th Parallel (Aug 10-11, 1945)

Koreans formed Korean People’s Republic (est. Sept 6, 1945), YŏUn-hyŏng

Soviet Union north of the 38th and US south of the 38th

Yalta Feb 1945 and Trusteeship

Cold War Rivalry between Stalin and Truman

Russians not as heavy handed in north

People’s Committees and autonomy

Land reforms

Nationalized major industries

Labor reforms

Supposed gender equality

System of control and surveillance

US distrustful of Koreans, communists

Replicated police state in the south

Anti-communism

Heavy crackdown on (suspected) leftists

Leftist rebellions

C. SOUTH KOREA AND NORTH KOREA

Republic of Korea est. Aug. 15, 1948

Syngman Rhee (1875-1965)

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea established Aug. 25, 1948

Kim Il Sung (1912-1994)

Competing regimes

Similarities and differences

Korean War did not begin on June 25, 1950

Korean War did not end on July 27, 1953

Ideological conflicts about the future of the nation

In SK, guerrilla fighters in Cheju and southwest SK (November 1948)

No evidence of Soviet or North Korean support

US troops never left SK

In NK, drives to create autonomous Korea

Soviet withdrawal 1948

Land reforms

Borderland skirmishes in Summer 1949

Rhee and Kim desired unification

Bruce Cumings: “Civil wars do not start: they come. They originate in multiple causes, with blame enough to around for everyone—”

START OF WAR

N Korean troops took Ongjin peninsula and went east during the night of June 24-25, 1950

NK account: SK invaded first, June 23-24

WAR June 25, 1950: outbreak of war

June 28, 1950: Seoul fell to NK forces

July 5, 1950: Task Force Charlie arrived

Early Sept 1950: Pusan perimeter

Sept 15, 1950: MacArthur’s landing at Incheon

Sept 28, 1950: Seoul retaken by Allied forces

Oct 1, 1950: Allied forces crossed 38th parallel

Jan 4, 1951: Seoul retaken by NK/PRC forces

Sept 28, 1951: Seoul retaken by Allied forces

Stalemate and July 27, 1953 Armistice signed

Push to Yalu by US And ROK forces

China enters war in Oct 1950

Civilian deaths by troops (on all sides)

Outcomes

1.5 million dead*, 3 million injuries; 5 million uprooted

Divided families—2 million displaced children

Hostilities

Longing for unity

Outcomes

1.5 million dead*, 3 million injuries; 5 million uprooted

Divided families—2 million displaced children

Hostilities

Longing for unity

Kim Il Sung (1912-1994) Kim Jong Il (1941-2011)

“The Great Leader” “The Dear Leader”

Kim Jong-un (Born 1983)

Juche (1955)

“Self Reliance”

Autonomy

Chajusŏng (Self Reliance)

Minjok Tongnip (National Independence)

Charip Kyŏngje (Independent Economy)

Heavy Industrialization

Legacy of colonialism

GDP and GNP bigger than SK till late 1970s

1960s and 1970s

Autonomy demands conforming to ideology of Juche

Culture

Education

Discipline and Surveillance

1960 per capita GNP: $100*/2017-$37,000

11th largest economy in world

A. AUTHORITARIAN RULE OF SYNGMAN RHEE

Syngman Rhee (1875-1965, pres. 1948-1960)

Elected 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960

First Republic (first constitution)

National Security Law

Exceeded term limits

Eliminated opponents

opponent in 1956 election executed for treason

1960 opponent died before election

Ballot stuffing in vice presidential elections

Use of military force against civilian protestors

4/12 discovery of 17-year-old boy’s body killed in protests

4/19 protests (115-130 killed, 1000 injured)

Loss of US support

Resignation of Syngman Rhee, 4/29/1960

B. THE RISE OF PARK CHUNG HEE

Chang Myon as Prime Minister

Chang Myon

(John Chang)

Prime Minister

Student demonstrations in May 1961 for immediate reunification with North Korea

Criticisms that party and government were weak

Public disenchanted, ambivalent

Economic insecurity

May 16, 1961: coup by Park Chung Hee

Emphasis on need for anti-communist vigilance

PARK CHUNG HEE(1917-1979, PRES. 1963-1979)

Coup May 16, 1961

Chang Myon asked for US assistance

Park ruled through junta called Supreme Council for National Reconstruction

Elected 1963, 1967, 1971, 1972*, 1978

Third Republic est. 1963

Park Chung Hee

Top down economic development in 1961—banker and entrepreneur

Colonial legacy

Five Year Plans in partnership with Chaebols (Hyundai, Samsung, LG)

Textiles and Heavy Industries (gendered)

Free economic zones

1965 ROK-JAPAN NORMALIZATION TREATY

$300 million in direct grants

$200 million in loans

$300 million in private corporate investment

Economic development, ex: POSCO

Protests

1966 BROWN MEMORANDUM

$1 billion to ROK 1965-70

50,000 South Korean soldiers in Vietnam, total 300,000

Vietnam War enables many South Korean businesses to start

94% of steel exports to Vietnam

52% of transportation equipment exports to Vietnam

PARK CHUNG HEE

Elected 1963, 1967, 1971, 1972*, 1978

*Yusin (revitalization) Constitution (coup in office)

Fourth Republic est. 1972

1972 election

National Council for Unification (name of electoral body headed by incumbent president)

First Lady Yuk Young-soo

assassinated August 15, 1974

President Park Chung Hee

Assassinated October 26, 1979

1970s-Rise of Women-led labor movements (textiles)

Protestant Christian-Workers Alliance—UIM

Questioning growth and development for national security

Constitution protected rights of workers

Coup of 12/12/79 by Chun Doo Hwan (1931- , pres. 1980-1988)

Fifth Republic

5/18/80: protests at Jeonnam National University in Gwangju

Supposed NK communist plot

3000+ paratroopers sent in

Citizens commandeered city on 5/21

5/26-5/27: protestors put down

Rise of anti-Americanism

Gwangju Uprising/Massacre/

Democratization of 1980

CHUN DOO HWAN (1980-88)

Fifth Republic

37,000 journalists, students, teachers, labor organizers, civil servants sent to “re-education” camps

Minjung (Masses) in the 1980s

Rise of mass movement: Labor, university students and middle class

Olympic factor

ROH TAE WOO (1988-1993) June 29 (1987) proclamation

8-point reforms endorsing direct presidential elections, easing freedoms, instituting social and political reforms

12/16/1987 election: 3-way split for votes with Kim Young Sam, Kim Dae Jung in first direct presidential elections since 1971

Sixth Republic

Continuation of Chun authoritarianism, National Security Laq

ROAD TO DEMOCRATIZATION

Natural outcome of economic growth?

Struggles by students, intellectuals, workers

Support of religious groups: Buddhism, Christian churches, shamanism

Role of middle class

Support of women’s groups

Kim Young Sam (1992-1998)

Crackdown on labor

Shift from Minjung to Sinmin (Citizen)

Trials of Chun Doo Hwan & Roh Tae Woo

1994 ruling found Chun & Roh guilty of engineering 1979 coup, but sentence commuted

1996 trial found them guilty of bribery, insurrection, treason

Life sentence for Chun, 17 years for Roh

Pardoned in December 1998 by Kim Dae Jung

IMF bailout (December 3, 1997)

Segyehwa (Globalization)

Breaking down barrier to economy and expanding Korean influence

Fall of Thai Baht May 1997

Erosion of confidence of Asian economies

Financial Crisis in Korea fall 1997

IMF bailout Dec 1997

IMF Crisis, December 1997

RISE OF KIM DAE JUNG

Kim Dae Jung (1925-2009, pres 1998-2003)

Longtime opposition leader

1971 elections: 36% of popular vote*

1971: run over by truck

1973: kidnapped, house arrest until 1979

1980: indicted for inciting Kwangju uprising, sentenced to be executed

1982: exiled to US

1985: return to Korea, placed under house arrest

Democratization achieved

KIM DAE JUNG

Economic recovery, financial reforms as primary concerns

Breaking old regional discrimination

Sunshine Policy of engagement with North Korea

2000 North-South Summit, Nobel Peace Prize

ROH MOO-HYUN

1946-2009, pres 2003-2008

Self-educated lawyer

Kim Dae Jung supporter

March 2004: impeached by National Assembly for illegal electioneering and incompetence, overturned by Constitutional Court

Second North-South Summit, October 2007

Suicide May 23, 2009

Kim and Roh and Sunshine Policy

Support for NK

Ailing economy due to lack of oil and natural disasters

Fall of industrialized economy

Famine

1985—NK and NPT

1993—IAEA demands inspection of two nuclear waste storage sites

Summer 1994—Carter visit and Kim Il Sung passes (July)

1994—NK and US sign agreement to build new nuclear reactors, diplomatic relations and repealing sanctions

Sept 1999-NK pledges to freeze long range missile program

June 200-NK/SK summit

October 2000-Albright visit to NK

2002—Bush and NK as part of “Axis of Evil.”

2003—NK withdraws from NPT and declares it has nuclear weapons; start of six party talks

2005—Tentative agreement to give up nuclear program

2006—First nuclear test

2008 Six party talks break down

2016—Hydrogen bomb test and detonation of nuclear warhead

2017—Further testing of long range missles

1. Desire for Autonomy

2. Bush and conservatives desire for NK collapse

3. Rise of Yi Myung-bak as President in SK (2008-2013) and end of Sunshine Policy

4. Election of Park Geun-hye in 2013 (Impeached in 2017)

LEE AND NORTH KOREA

March 26, 2010 sinking of ROKS Cheonan blamed on NK

Nov 23, 2010 incident on Yeonpyeong Island

Nuclear testing by North

No credible engagement with North Korea during Obama Administration

Desire to increase presence in Asia

?

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Desire for reunification on both sides

Confederation—two systems and one nation

Election of new SK President, Moon Jae-in, could change direction

Colonial Period unresolved due to division

Dokdo

Comfort Women

East Sea

What is Korea’s role in the world:

Culturally?

Economically?

Politically?

Regionally?

Globally?

Yuna Kim

Ryu Hyun-jin

Girl’s Generation

Starbucks in Seoul

(632 Starbucks in S Korea,

as of 2014)

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