20th Century Korean and East Asian History and Economic and Political Development of Korea - Post...
Transcript of 20th Century Korean and East Asian History and Economic and Political Development of Korea - Post...
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
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
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
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
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
Chajusŏng (Self Reliance)
Minjok Tongnip (National Independence)
Charip Kyŏngje (Independent Economy)
Discipline and Surveillance
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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)
Fall of Thai Baht May 1997
Erosion of confidence of Asian economies
Financial Crisis in Korea fall 1997
IMF bailout Dec 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
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
Desire for reunification on both sides
Confederation—two systems and one nation
Election of new SK President, Moon Jae-in, could change direction