Historically speaking, South Korea has not always been the vibrant democratic country that many worldwide perceive it to be today. Since gaining independence in 1948, South Korea was under the rule of three authoritarian governments until 1988. The first government, led by Korean independence activist Syngman Rhee, ruled from 1948 to 1960 with an iron first over the nation. Rhee’s government was responsible for numerous war crimes (crimes against humanity) such as the Bodo League Massacre in 1950, where between 60,000 to 200,000 civilians accused of being communist sympathizers were brutally murdered by the Korean army and far-right paramilitaries. Rhee’s government also presided over an economically weak nation, with South Korea being on par with its Northern counterpart in metrics such as GDP per capita. Mismanagement, political repression, and poor leadership all characterized Rhee’s administration, and in 1961, President Rhee retired after the student protests in the April 19th Revolution. Economic mismanagement and lack of industrialization were the primary causes of this slow growth, even though South Korea was one of the largest recipients of foreign aid.
South Korea then transitioned temporarily to a democratic system under the Second Republic led by President Yun Posun. However, the new government was still plagued by socioeconomic problems and government corruption. Dissatisfied with the government’s lack of coordination and the domination of “liberation” aristocrats, i.e, prominent members of South Korea’s independence movement, the South Korean army launched the 1961 May Coup, with Major General Park Chung-Hee leading the coup and usurping political power.
For the next 18 years, Park Chung-Hee ruled effectively as a military dictator, changing the Constitution to extend his term and utilizing the guide of “Anti-Communism” to suppress political freedom and speech. Furthermore, Park set a precedent of military dominance and influence in South Korean politics, allowing for an unelected, jingoistic body to intervene in the government of South Korea. This was reflected after his assassination, where DSC commander Chun Doo-Hwan utilized his authority as head of the nation’s intelligence to launch two military coups, in December of 1979 and in May of 1980.
Chun’s administration and rise to power portrays the South Korean military’s historical tendency to use its influence to shape national politics and determine policy. Chun was the founder of Hanahoe, a small private military group that controlled many of the military’s divisions and intelligence. Chun used the military for his own political means, illegally arresting Martial Law commander Jeong-Seong Hwa and using South Korean soldiers to compel Park’s successor Choi Kyu-Hah to surrender all political control to Chun. The following eight years of Chun’s presidency were characterized by a military dictatorship that adopted a far-right, anti-communist policy, often justifying its authoritarian power using political means and jargon.
President Yoon’s recent martial law declaration largely seems to resemble South Korea’s dark history with authoritarianism and militarism. His actions largely seemed parallel to previous attempts at military usurpation of power. Justifying martial law for “national security”, intimidating political opponents, and trying to extend political power -- all of these actions from President Yoon are shared by the two previous military coups from Presidents Park Chung-Hee and Chun Doo-Hwan.
If South Korea wants to truly establish itself again as a vibrant, democratic economy, it must eliminate the foundations and precedents of military authoritarianism that continue to cling on to modern-day Korea.
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