Contemporary Korean History (1945-2000)

Author: Cao Zhongping et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-07-01
Features: In contemporary Korean history, whenever the balance of power in the party political structure undergoes significant changes, the newly ascendant political forces amend the constitution. In the early 1950s, Lee Seung-man took advantage of the wartime environment and its impact, manipulating the National Assembly in 1952 to pass a constitutional amendment through standing votes, which included direct presidential elections and a bicameral system. In 1954, he employed extraordinary measures using the "rounding up" method of constitutional amendment to provide a legal basis for his third presidential re-election. On March 15, 1960, when he attempted his fourth re-election as president, the Liberal Party government was overthrown by the April Student Uprising. However, Lee Seung-man's downfall became a stepping stone for the opposition to come to power. On June 15, 1960, the Democratic Party, which stole the fruits of the "April 19 Revolution," amended the constitution for the third time in the National Assembly, establishing a cabinet responsible government led by Chang Man. However, the Democratic Party was a short-lived government, ruling for only 346 days. This indicates that the parliamentary system of the bourgeoisie is not a panacea for solving Korean problems. On May 16, 1961, Park Chung-hee-led military groups launched a coup, marking the end of 13 years of "constitutional rule" and the beginning of the military rule era.